©mmgAmeimkdams 

by  Katharine  K.Crowel) 


PRINCETON,  N.  J.  ffj^ 

Purchased  by  the  Hamill  Missionary  Fund, 


JV  6455  .C74 

Crowell,  Katharine  R.  1854-  , 

1926.  I 

Coming  Americans  ' 


COMING 
AMERICANS 


By  Katharine  R.  Crowell 

Author  of 

"  China  for  Juniors  " 
"Japan  for  Juniors  " 
"Africa  for  Juniors  " 
"  Alaska  for  Juniors  " 


The  Willett  Press,  Publishers,  5  West  20th  Street, 
New  York  City 


Prices,  paper,  25c. ;  cloth,  35c.    Postage  extra. 

ARRANGED  AND  PRINTED  BY  THE  WILLETT  PRESS,  NEW  YORK 


5^ 


(£omtng  Americans 


CHAPTER  I 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  IT 


HE  beginning  of  it?  Well,  I  suppose 
for  Francesca  and  Josef,  Stephen 
and  little  Angelica,  the  beginning  of 
it  was  that  day  when  their  father 
told  them  he  was  going  to  America. 
Such  a  sorrowful  day!  For  these 
children  loved  their  father  dearly, 
and  how  could  they  be  sure  that  if 
he  went  to  America,  they  would  ever 
see  him  again  ?  How  would  you  boys 
and  girls  feel  if  your  father  should 


Italian  say  some  day:    "It  is   all  settled, 

children ;  I  have  decided  to  go  to  the 
planet  Mars?"  For  to  these  children  America  was  as  far 
off  and  mysterious  as  Mars  seems  to  you;  and,  happily, 
to  their  fancy  it  also  sparkled  quite  as  brightly,  so,  though 
they  all  cried  as  their  father  kissed  them  good-bye,  they 
dried  their  tears  when  they  really  heard  what  he  was 
saying — "Some  day  I  will  send  you  a  letter  with  money 
in  it,  and  then  your  grandfather,  your  mother,  and  all 
of  you  children  will  come  to  live  with  me  in  the  happy 
land — America. " 

All  this  happened  more  than  a  year  ago,  and  to-day 
the  letter  came!  A  funny  looking  letter,  too,  with  such 
queer  names  in  the  postmark,  Slaiington,  Pa.,  U.  S.  A.; 
but  their  mother's  sweet  face  is  as  bright  as  the  sunshine, 
and  in  a  moment  all  the  children  are  excitedly  laughing 
and  talking,  for  there  in  the  letter,  as  their  father  had 


3 


promised,  is  the  money  to  take  them  to  America!  Fancy 
how  yott  would  chatter  if  your  father  had  sent  you  tickets 
for  the  trip  to  Mars! 

Such  news  flies  fast,  and  very  soon  all  the  neighbors 
hear  of  the  letter,  and,  themselves  very  wistful,  wish  the 
mother  joy,  and  indeed  all  who  are  not  too  old  or  too  poor 
quickly  decide  to  set  out  with  them  for  the  new  and  happy 
land,  and  for  "Slatington,  Pa.,  U.  S.  A.,"  wherever  that 
may  be. 

So  there  is  much  and  eager  talking  of  preparations  to 
be  made.  What  shall  they  take?  and  what  shall  they 
leave  behind?  It  is  a  puzzling  question,  for,  aside  from 
their  idea  that  America  is  a  golden  sort  of  country,  where 
all  who  go  live  happy  ever  after,  they  really  know  very 

little  about  it,  so  as 
they  talk,  warm  friends 
and  good  -  natured  as 
they  all  are,  there  threat- 
ens to  be  war  in  the 
camp,  for  our  family  are 
sure  that  America  is  all 
coal  mines  and  railroads 
and  steel  mills,  while 
others  feel  certain  that  it 
is  all  high  buildings  and 
railroads  which  run  over 
the  housetops.  It  all  de- 
pends, you  see,  upon 
whether  one's  father  is  a 
miner  in  Pennsylvania, 
or  a  barber  in  New  York 
City!  But  you  may  be 
wondering  what  it  was 
that  in  the  first  place  led 
the  children's  father  to 
go  to  America. 

Servian  Gypsies  Just  shut  yOUr  cyCS 

for  a  moment,  and — 
listen.  Cannot  you  hear  a  tramp,  tramp,  tramp,  as  of  an 
army  marching?  Do  you  hear  it?  Open  your  eyes  then 
and  watch  this  endless  procession  as  it  goes  by.  There  are 
thousands  upon  thousands  of  people — men,  women,  boys  and 
girls,  tiny  tots,  even  babies  too  little  to  walk — or  talk;  but 


4 


the  rest  are  talking,  and  in  about  fifty  different  languages. 
You  do  not  need  this,  though,  to  tell  you  that  they  come 
from  many  countries.  The  queer  dresses  and  head- 
coverings  would  prove  it.  Look!  There  is  a  Hungarian 
now — our  family  are  Hungarians — wearing  high  boots 
and  embroidered  dolman;  and  his  hair  is  braided!  There 
is  a  Pole ;  his  hair  is  cir- 
cular-cut,  and  he  wears 
a  short  jacket.  This  one 
just  going  by  is  a  Ser- 
vian, with — what  is  that 
sticking  in  his  belt?  A 
dagger,  surely — he  will 
have  to  give  that  up  if 
he  has  any  idea  of  reach- 
ing the  land  of  the  Free! 
There  go  some  Turks: 
then  Jews,  from  Cilicia; 
here  are  Russians,  Syr- 
ians, Italians,  Greeks — 
too  many  to  name,  and 
of  all  their  queer  belong- 
ings, the  shoes  are  the  /„  iMiand 
queerest.     Keep  your 

eyes  on  the  ground  for  a  moment.  Don't  look  up!  Just 
watch  the  foot-coverings  as  they  go  by  in  throngs — made 
of  wood,  sometimes — very  clumsy;  or  of  heavy  leather, 
clumsier  still — top  boots,  Paris  shoes,  sandals,  slippers  with 
toes  turned  up — the  feet  in  them  have  started  from 
almost  every  country  under  the  sun,  but  they  are  all  bound 
for  one  land — the  free  and  rich  and  happy  land — America 

But  why  is  it,  do  you  suppose,  that  all  these  people  are 
leaving  their  homes,  expecting,  many  of  them,  never  to  go 
back  to  them?  We  in  America  do  not  leave  our  homes, 
never  to  come  back. 

No;  but  perhaps  we  should  be  glad  to  if  America 
were  like  Russia,  where  many  are  persecuted,  and  where, 
for  millions  of  people,  there  are  no  schools;  or  like  Italy, 
where  the  heavy  taxes  required  to  support  the  army  and 
navy,  crush  out  the  very  life;  or  like  Germany,  too 
crowded  to  allow  boys  or  girls  much  of  a  chance  in  life; 
or  like  all  of  them  in  demanding  the  best  years  of  every 
man's  life  for  service  in  the  army.    You  see  there  is  a 


5 


tremendous  difference.  America  is  free  and  happy; 
there  are  schools  and  a  chance  in  hfe  for  every  one,  es- 
pecially for  every  boy  and  girl — oj  course,  we  don't  leave  it. 

But  fathers  and  mothers  in 
Europe,  weary  of  their  own  hard 
lives,  have  heard  glowing  ac- 
counts of  all  these  things,  and  so 
it  comes  about  that  this  great 
procession  is  journeying  across 
Europe  to  the  Sea — to  Bremen 
or  Antwerp,  Marseilles,  Fiume, 
Naples — any  port  where  they  feel 
sure  a  ship  may  be  found  to  take 
them  to  America. 

The  curious  thing  is  how  all 
these  people  came  to  hear  the 
glowing  stories;  and  perhaps  it 
would  be  as  well  to  stop  calling 
them  "people,"  and  give  them 
the  name  which  belongs  to  them. 
From  the  time  they  leave  their 
homes — in  Russia,  Italy,  Ger-  No  Chance  in  Li/e 

many,   France,   Scotland  —  it 

makes  no  difference  where  their  homes  are — all  the  people 
in  the  procession  we  are  watching,  are  emigrants.  Some- 
thing must  happen  though,  on  the  voyage  over,  for  as 
you  will  see,  when  they  land  on  Ellis  Island  or  at  Boston 
or  Charleston,  quick  as  a  flash  the  name  changes;  I  leave 
it  to  you  to  say  why. 

But  we  were  wondering  how  these  emigrants  got 
their  knowledge  of  America,  for  many  of  them  do  not 
know  how  to  read.  It  was  different  when  the  most  of 
them  came  from  Northern  Europe,  from  Norway  or 
Sweden,  from  Denmark,  Germany  or  Great  Britain.  In 
those  days,  if  you  had  been  watching  the  procession  and 
had  called  out,  ''Can  you  read?"  if  Swedes  or  Scotchmen 
were  going  by  ninety -nine,  carrying  their  heads  high,  would 
shout  back,  Yes!  and  only  the  hundredth  man  need  hang 
his  head  and  say  ''No." 

Now,  it  is  different.  The  greatest  number  come  from 
the  South  of  Europe,  and  if  you  should  ask  your  question 
of  Italians  from  Southern  Italy,  more  than  fifty  out  of 
every  hundred  must  say  "No." 


6 


(Of  course  there  is  a  reason  for  this  difference  between 
Northwestern  and  Southeastern  Europe.  Your  bright 
wits  will  easily  guess  what  it  is.) 

So  it  is  plain  that  knowledge  of  America  does  not 
always  come  from  books  or  newspapers.  No,  it  was 
the  men  who  first  ventured  over  the  sea  who  sent  back 
the  glowing  stories  and  those  who  have  come  later  keep 
them  up.  They  send  back  also  letters  containing  money, 
and  lo!  fathers  and  mothers,  children,  sisters  and  brothers, 
uncles  and  aunts  and  cousins,  whole  families,  with  neighbors 
and  friends,  pack  up  their  worldly  goods  and  follow  to  the 
happy  land — and  so  it  was  that  our  children's  father 
caught  the  fever  and  went  off  to  America  to  seek  his 
fortune  in  the  mines  of  Pennsylvania. 

But  novvadays  the  relatives  need  not  trouble  to 
tell  the  stories.  The  Steamship  Companies  take  care  of 
all  that.    For  you  see,  they  are  on  the  lookout  for  "  cargo  " 

for  their  ships,  and  emi- 
grants are  the  best  pay- 
ing cargo  they  can  have. 

So  there  is  scarcely  a 
spot  in  all  Europe  where 
agents  of  these  com- 
panies are  not  found.  It 
is  as  though  they  had 
spread  out  a  net  with  a 
fine  mesh — so  very  fine 
that  even  the  smallest 
babies  cannot  wriggle 
through — all  are  dragged 
into  the  ships!  To  per- 
suade these  people  to 
emigrate,  the  agents 
w?iy  They  Leave  Italy  make  golden  promises  of 

riches  and  prosperity. 
But,  you  see,  the  object  of  the  company  is  to  get  the 
passage  money,  not  to  keep  its  promises,  and  many  times 
those  who  have  been  brought  to  America  on  these  false 
hopes  must  wish  themselves  back  in  their  old  homes, 
wretched  as  in  some  cases  they  may  have  been. 

But  our  travelers  must,  by  this  time,  have  settled 
their  disputes,  and  decided  what  to  take  with  them.  Ah, 
yes;   and  they  have  certainly  settled  the  matter  on  the 


7 


safe  side.  They  will  leave  nothing  behind!  for  who  knows 
what  they  may  need  in  the  new,  strange  country!  Beds, 
of  course,  and  even  food,  perhaps,  and  things  to  cook 
it  in.  So  after  much  exertion  and  squeezing  and  jamming, 
two  immense  mattresses,  and  all  their  connection  of 
blankets  and  pillows  and  heavy  quilts;  forms  of  cheese, 
fruit,  clothes,  cans  of  olive  oil — in  short,  all  their  possessions 
are  packed  in  huge  boxes  and  big  bundles;  geraniums 


here  are  their  beautiful  solid  mountains  that  have  never 
failed  them.  How  lovely  they  are  now  in  the  sunset 
light,  and  how  sweet  the  air,  and  how  still,  except  for 
the  sleepy  good-night  twitterings  of  the  birds,  and  the 
far-away  church  bells  softly  ringing  for  vespers.  It  is 
a  fair  land  they  are  leaving.  Will  they  come  to  one  as 
fair,  I  wonder? 

This  going  away  is  pretty  hard  on  the  old  grand- 
father, but  the  sun  itself  seems  to  shine  in  the  mother's 
eyes,  though  there  must  be  a  rainbow  somewhere,  for 
it  shines  through  tears.  As  for  the  gleeful  little  children — 
well,  they  are  happy  still,  for  are  they  not  going  to  see 
their  father  in  the  happy  land?  But  a  little  shadow  rests 
upon  their  gaiety  and  the  gleefulness  is  checked  by  the. 
numerous  stories  they  are  hearing  of  the  dangers  of  the 
journey  overland  to  the  big  ship,  and  the  terrors  of  the 
sail  on  the  deep,  deep  sea. 


In  Holland 


are  potted,  and  bird-cages 
are  covered  up,  for  gera- 
niums and  canaries  are 
necessaries  of  life  to  Hun- 
garians! And  strange  to 
sa}^  when  all  are  ready  to 
leave  the  little  home  at 
the  foot  of  the  Carpathian 
Mountains,  it  suddenly 
becomes  very  dear  and 
beautiful.  How  can  they 
leave  it  for  that  dim  and 
far-off  country,  which,  to 
be  sure,  always  floats  be- 
fore their  eyes  in  a  rosy- 
golden  haze;  but  after  all, 
rosy-golden  hazes  are  not 
very   substantial,  and 


8 


The  shadow  passes  though — of  course  it  must,  with 
such  a  sunshiny  mother  about — and  the  journey  is  bravely 
and  brightly  begun.  They  must  go  all  the  way  to  Naples, 
where  they  will  embark  for  America  on  the  "big  ship." 
Well,  at  last  they  reach  Naples  and  find  themselves  part 
of  an  enormous  crowd  at  the  steam- 
ship ofhce,  for  while  they,  with  others, 
have  been  traveling  from  Hungary,  hun- 
dreds— many  hundreds — have  been  jour- 
neying to  this  steamer  from  all  parts 
of  Southern  Europe,  and  from  Asia, 
too.  You  will  see  Turks  and  Syrians 
presently. 

This  waiting  in  the  crowd  at  Naples 
is  not  a  happy  time  at  all.  Our  brave 
little  girlie,  whose  courage  has  never  failed 
her  yet,  comes  pretty  near  giving  out  now. 
What  wonder?  For  hours  and  hours  they 
In  Italy  must  Stand,  without  shelter  from  the  sun 

— broiling-hot  and  blinding-white.  This 
is  all  the  harder  to  bear,  because  they  have  had  no  break- 
fast and  very  little  sleep. 

But  certificates,  tickets  and  baggage  {ph,  that  baggage!) 
have  at  last  been  attended  to,  and  the  time  comes  when 
they  are  allowed  to  go  on  board  the  big  ship.  It  is  a 
good  deal  of  a  struggle  to  get  up  the  very  steep  in- 
cline of  the  gang-plank, 
and  there  are  hundreds 
and  hundreds  of  men 
and  women ,  and  so  many 
children  —  every  one 
weighed  down  with  bag- 
gage, the  sturdy  chil- 
dren carrying  their  full 
share.  Do  you  notice 
how  many  have  small, 
rush-bottomed  chairs? 

Why  do  they  have  them,  From  Twdve  countries 

do  you  suppose?  Cer- 
tainly not  because  it  is  easy  to  get  them  up  the  gang- 
plank.   Look  at  those  tiny  tots  carrying  big  fiber  baskets 
of  fruit!    Among  them  is  little  Angelica. 

So  now  they  are  off  for  America,  and  I  think  we  will 


9 


not  say  very  much  about  the  voyage.    It  is  so  wretched, 

and  there  are  so  many,  many  miseries.  Such  terrible 
crowds  in  such  small  space,  and  almost  no  air  to  breathe — 
or  worse  than  none.  And  the  poor  little  babies !  Nine  out 
of  every  ten,  I  am  sure,  began  to  cry  as  they  were  carried 
up  the  gang-plank  at  Naples,  and  they  seem  likely  to  keep 
it  up  all  the  way  over!  There  are  no  seats  in  the  steerage, 
except  for  the  lucky  ones  who  brought  the  little  chairs. 
And  there  are  two  dreadful  storms,  when  our  poor,  sick 
little  children,  frightened  nearly  to  death,  wish  they 
could  die;  and  all  the  time,  from  the  first  minute  on  board 
they  are  cruelly  treated  by  the  ship's  people,  pushed 
and'  jerked  about,  struck  with  heavy  blows.  Poor  people, 
who  cannot  understand  a  word  that  is  said  to  them! 
and  this  cruelty  lasts  until  they  put  their  feet  on  Ellis  Island ; 
there,  Uncle  Sam  takes  hold,  and  the  law^  of  kindness 
rules. 

But  they  are  not  at  Ellis  Island  yet,  and  just  as  they 
think  the  long  wretchedness  of  the  voyage  is  about  to  end, 
a  thick,  white  blanket  of  fog  wraps  the  steamer  round  and 
round,  until  not  one  foot  can  she  move.  No,  not  for  two 
whole  livelong  days,  and  all  the  while  toll  the  dismal,  dismal 
fog-bells,  and  the  whistles  shriek,  and  screech,  and 
the  bewildering  white  blanket  wraps  closer  and  closer. 

Golden,  rosy,  happy  America?    Poor  little  children! 


On  the  Way 


10 


CHAPTER  II 


UNCLE  SAM  TAKES  HOLD 

UT  that  was  not  really  America!  It  is 
only  a  German  steamer,  caught  in  a 
fog!  And,  after  a  while,  the. fog 
folds  itself  up  and  is  seen  no  more, 
and  there  is  the  real  America — green 
hills  and  sparkling  blue  water; 
sparkling  air,  too,  and  a  brisk  and 
salty  breeze  that  makes  life  fairly 
tingle  in  the  children's  veins;  the 
beautiful  harbor,  where  we  count 
four  big  "liners"  from  France,  Italy, 
Slavonic  Germany,    England,    all    of  them 

crowded  with — emigrants?  No,  in- 
deed, for  something  has  happened,  and  they  are 
immigrants  now,  and  I  wish  you  would  tell  me  why  ! 
And  see  the  great  ships,  their  sails  dazzling  white  in 
the  sunshine,  soft  grays  in  the  shadow;  but  most  of 
all  are  the  children  delighted  with  the  quick  little 
steam  tugs  darting  everywhere.  But  lift  your  eyes 
higher!  No,  not  to  the  right,  though  you  may  see  there 
the  Brooklyn  Bridge  and  the  lines  of  high  buildings, 
which  drive  our  incoming  guests  almost  wild  with  ex- 
citement, for  no  matter  what  language  they  speak,  "sky- 
scraper" means — New  York  and  friends  to  meet  them. 
But  look!  Someone  motions  to  the  left,  and  how  quickly 
they  turn  about;  and  in  all  these  people,  hearts  beat 
wildly,  and  eyes  are  upturned,  for  there  before  them 
stands  Liberty's  Statue,  her  torch  blazing  now  in  the 
sunshine ;  and  just  beyond  lies  the  gateway  to  the  promised 
land.  They  know  it,  for  over  it,  against  the  blue  sky, 
streams  out,  brighter  than  the  torch,  the  red,  white  and 
blue  of  the  Flag. 

America,  at  last  !  And  there  on  the  dock  waiting 
for  them  is  "Uncle  Sam,"  in  the  person  of  the  Inspector, 
Now  follows  a  busy  time  for  him,  and  a  fearfully  anxious 
one  for  the  immigrant.  Suppose  he  should  be  turned 
back!  and  he  will  be  if  his  "ship's  ticket"  (you  must 
have  noticed  that  each  child  holds  one  tight  in  his  hand) 
is  not  just  as  it  should  be. 


II 


In  the  steerage  of  the  steamer,  during  the  waiting  time 
in  the  fog,  there  were  great  struggles  with  baggage,  for 
one's  best  clothes  must  be  found  to  glorify  the  entering 
into  the  promised  land.  And  it  is  a  gorgeous  color- 
picture  we  see  as  the  people  stream  up  the  gang-plank 
by — hundreds?  No,  by  thousands,  for  this  is  the  historic 
day  when  twelve  thousand  were  landed.    How  can  they 


scarfs — and  not  far  av/ay  embroidered  jackets  of  most  vivid 
green.  Here  comes — a  flower-bed?  Well,  at  least  there  are 
geraniums  enough  to  make  one,  and  of  course  the  bird- 
cages follow — and  here,  at  last,  are  our  Hungarians,  and 
the  very  first  to  step  into  the  golden-rosy  country  is  little 
Angelica.  Still  carrying  the  fiber-basket!  Empty?  No! 
as  full  and  heavy  as  ever,  for  that  fruit,  I  would 
remind  you,  has  been  brought  all'  the  way  from  the 
little  garden  in  the  Carpathian  hills  for  her  father's 
enjoyment;  let  us  hope  it  was  not  very  ripe  when  it  was 
picked! 

Over  these  little  citizens-to-be  waves  the  Stars  and 
Stripes,  and  as  they  enter  Uncle  Sam's  big  house,  the 
first  thing  to  which  they  lift  their  eyes  is  the  flag.  The 
many-colored  procession  streams  on  and  up  the  stairs. 
On  the  landing  they  are  stopped  by  the  doctors,  who 
examine  eyes  and  head  and  hands.  Watch  them  a  moment. 
See  !  the  first  doctor  in  the  line  has  chalked  an  F  on  the 
lapel  of  that  man's  coat,  and  that  one  has  a  T.  I  am 
afraid  he  may  write  B.  H.  on  Stephen,  because  of  his  ban- 
daged head!  No;  he  only  says,  with  a  pleasant  smile  and 
a  kind  little  pat,  "Better  have  the  tooth  out,  little  chap!  " 


Ellis  Island 


manage  those  enormous 
bundles,  or  those  huge 
valises,  only  prevented 
from  bursting  by  the 
grass  ropes  tied  around  ? 
Ah  !  these  handsome 
boys  coming  up  now  are 
more  sensible;  their  be- 
longings are  in  gaily- 
figured  hour-glass -like 
bags,  thrown  over  their 
shoulders.  More  bright 
colors,  even  sometimes 
scarlet  dresses  and  pink 


The  little  chap  understands  the  tone  and  the  pat  and  the 
smile — but  not  the  words — and  smiles  back. 

You  notice  that  all  the  lettered  persons  are  taken  away 
for  more  particular  examination.  Our  people  are  not  let- 
tered and  are  passed  on  to  wait  for  their  turn  at  the  Reg- 
istry Desks.  There  are  comfortable  seats  for  all  who 
must  wait,  and  opposite  each  seat  a  place  for  baggage. 
It  is  good  to  see  the  women  and  children  put 
down  their  heavy  loads  and  sink  back  on  the 
benches.  Watch  this  man.  If  his  papers  are  all 
right  and  if  he  has  enough  money,  and  if  he  knows  where 
he  is  going  and  how  to  go,  passing  the  Registry  Desk  is 
only  a  matter  of  a  moment  or  two — but  these  things, 
especially  the  papers,  are  not  always  all  right,  and  as  we 
watch  we  see  many  are  marked  with  some  letter,  most 
of  them  signifying  detention  for  some  reason;  but  the 
worst  that  can  possibly  happen  is  to  be  marked  "S.  I.," 
for  this  means  a  possible  turning  back  by  the  Board  of 
Special  Inquiry. 

And  all  at  once,  we  see  that  our  children's  grand- 
father has  been  marked  S.  I.  Why,  I  wonder?  It  must 
be  because  he  is 
too  old  to  work 
for  his  own  sup- 
port, for  Uncle 
Sam  says  that 
all  who  cannot 
support  them- 
selves must  be 
sent  back  in  the 
ship  they  came 
in.  When  the 
meaning  of  S.  I. 
is   explained    to  Just  Arrived 

the  old  man,  all 

the  light  goes  out  of  his  face  and  even  his  bright-faced 
daughter  looks  startled — but  wait !  her  husband  is 
coming  to  meet  them — he  said  so  in  his  letter — and  all 
will  be  right  then. 

After  all,  a  good  many  of  these  people  must  know 
how  to  read.  See  them  gazing  at  that  notice,  printed 
in  seven  languages  and  posted  everywhere.  The  top 
hne  says,  MEALS  FREE,*   and  doubtless  those  queer 


Paid  for  by  steamship  companies.  13 


jumbles  of  funny -looking  marks  say  so,  too,  in  Polish  or 
Arabic  or  Yiddish,  or  other  tongues.  And  doubtless 
Poles  and  Syrians,  Russians  and  Hungarians  are  alike 
rejoicing,  for  they  must,  by  this  time,  be  frightfully  hungry. 

If  we  hurry  we  can  perhaps  reach  the  dining-room 
before  the  hungry  crowds  get  there — such  a  big,  clean, 
sunshiny  and  airy  room,  and  sweet,  salt  (yes,  both)  air, 
at  that.  Long  tables,  also  clean  and  shining;  an4  the 
white-coated  waiters  are  ready  to  serve  a  very  nice-looking, 
hot  and  hearty  meal.    After  the  steerage — what  luxury! 

But  here  at  the  wide 
doors  are  gathering 
hundreds  of  more  or  less 
starved  people,  waiting 
to  come  in.  Suppose  we 
go  out! 

We  pass  the  baggage- 
room — luggage  seems  a 
better  word — mountains 
of  it,  which  will  soon 
disappear ;  but  there  will 
be  mountains  more  to- 
morrow —  and  to-mor- 
row— and  to-morrow — 
endlessly,  for  the  rush  of 
it  never  stops,  the  year 
through. 

And  here    are  the 
detention   and  waiting 
rooms,  and  it  is  here 
especially  that  we  are 
The  Journey's  End  glad  to  remember  that 

there  are  Missionaries 
on  Ellis  Island.  Uncle  Sam  is  kindness  itself,  but  when 
it  comes  to  sorrow  and  disappointment  and  homesickness, 
it  is  only  the  Missionary  who  has  the  cure,  and  I  wish 
you  could  see  how  the  missionaries  of  Ellis  Island  have 
learned  to  comfort  the  stranger  in  a  strange  land,  even 
when  they  cannot  speak  his  language,  or  her  language,  as 
it  is  more  likely  to  be. 

Shall  we  look  in  the  "Missionaries'  Room?"  It  is 
empty  now,  though;  that  is,  empty  of  people,  for  they 
are  all  busy.     Among  the  thousands  landed  to-day  there 


14 


are  enough  sorrowful  and  needy  ones  to  keep  the  mis- 
sionaries very  busy.  We  count  twelve  desks — that  must 
mean  at  least  twelve  missionaries.  We  also  see  big  presses 
full  of  clothes — especially  children's  clothes — and  one 
great  closet  full  of  dolls  and  toys  and  boxes  of  candy.  And 
there  in  a  large  cabinet  are  cheery  messages,  printed 
in  at  least  twenty-six  different  languages.  The  Bible  is 
here,  too,  in  almost  as  many  tongues,  and  no  one  who  can  read 
in  any  of  them  leaves  ElHs  Island  without  at  least  a  Gospel. 

We  shall  soon  know  how  that  disappointed  old  man 
is  getting  along,  for,  as  a  great  and  unusual  privilege, 


Uncle  Sam's  Big  House 


the  Commissioner  has  signed  a  pass  which  admits  us 
to  the  Board  of  Special  Inquiry.  A  good  many  "S.  I.'s" 
are  here  sitting  in  rows  before  the  Examiner ;  and  here  sure 
enough  are  our  people.  The  older  ones  look  pale  and 
anxious,  and  even  the  little  people  are  pretty  sober.  The 
father  has  not  come  yet. 

Their  turn  to  be  called  before  the  Examiner  will  come 
presently.  But  just  listen  to  the  Examiner.  I  told  you — 
did  I  not? — that  he  can  talk  in  twenty  languages.  There 
are  Spanish  people  in  front  of  him,  and  his  words  are  soft 
and  musical,  but  as  these  men,  with  such  queer  hats — 


15 


looking  like  a  piece  of  stove-pipe  covered  witii  sheep- 
skin— come  up,  they  seem  to  change  to  a  buzz-saw;  others 
come,  he  simply  grunts — a  succession  of  grunts,  and  the 
men  in  front  of  him  grunt  back.  Next  he  hoarsely  gurgles 
way  down  in  his  throat;  but  happily,  whatever  the  lan- 
guage, his  words  and  looks  are  kind',  and  he  tells  us,  in 
sensible-sounding  English,  that  long  ago  he  resolved 
never  to  speak  a 
cross  or  hasty  w^ord 
to  these  poor  people, 
so  frightened  are 
they  and  miserable 
in  the  fear  of  being 
sent  back,  and  some- 
times, you  know,  he 
does  have  to  send 
them  back,  or,  as 
they  say  at  Ellis  Isl- 
and,"  deport "  them. 

We  are  sitting  so 
that  we  can  watch  Ahais  Fret 

the  people  waiting 

on  the  benches,  or  coming  up  to  be  examined.  Right 
back  of  us  is  a  door.  On  the  other  side  of  it  is  a  room 
where  relatives  are  waiting  for  their  families.  First, 
those  in  the  Board  Room  are  questioned;  then  the 
relatives  are  called  in  and  questioned.  If  the  answers 
agree,  then  all  is  right  and  the  family  may  go  happily 
off  together — but  they  must  not  speak  to  one  another, 
or  show  any  signs  of  gladness,  until  the  door  of  the  Board 
Room  is  closed  behind  them. 

Well,  the  old  grandfather  is  at  last  called  up.  Poor 
old  man!  you  cannot  think  how  dull  he  looks;  that  S.  I. 
seems  to  have  crushed  all  life  and  hope  out  of  him.  But 
he  manages  to  say  that  his  son  has  promised  to  support 
him,  and  to  come  to  take  him  to  his  new  home.  He  can- 
not tell  why  it  is  he  does  not  come.  And  so  he  goes  back 
to  the  bench,  and  there  the  family  sit  in  a  row.  Tired? 
More  than  tired.  These  have  been  such  hard  days.  And 
why  does  their  father  not  come?  Little  Angelica,  utterly 
weary,  leans  against  her  brother;  the  little  fellow  braces 
up  at  this  and  places  his  arm  protectingly  around  her. 
He  says  something  to  her — I  wish  I  knew  what — and  she 

i6 


smiles  up  at  him.  The  mother  quietly  holds  her  baby- 
girl  ;  but  two  little  red  spots  burn  hotter  and  hotter  m  her 
cheeks.  They  are  facing  the  western  window,  and  sud- 
denly— is  it  that  the  sun  has  flashed  out  from  a  cloud, 
and  shines  in  their  faces?  No;  not  that — the  door  be- 
hind us  has  opened,  and  the  father  comes  into  the  room. 
Watch  radiant  little  Angelica!  Not  tired  now! — none 
of  them  are  tired  now;  but  they  must  not  yet  make  any 
sign,  and  the  little  woman  holds  herself  together  bravely. 

But  listen!  the  Examiner  asks,  "Whom  do  you  come  to 
meet?"  (He  speaks  in  Hungarian,  but  repeats  in  English 
so  the  clerks  may  write  it  down),  and  the  man  says, 
"My  wife,  my  children,  my  father."  "Are  you  able  to 
support  them?"  "Yes;  T'am  all  ready  for  them.  I  have 
a  house,  with  five  rooms."  "Do  you  promise  to  care 
for  your  father,  too?"  ''Yes,"  says  the  man;  but  just 
here  there  is  a  quick  little  stir,  and  a  soft  rush  through  the 
room  and  little  Angelica,  not  able  to  wait  another  second, 
is  in  her  father's  arms,  her  arms  tight  around  his  neck. 
He  kisses  her  over  and  over  again ;  he  is  crying,  too.  Why 

should  he  cry,  w^hen 
he  is  so  glad?  But 
behind  Angelica  are 
all  the  children,  the 
mother  with  the 
baby,  and  the 
trembling  grand- 
father. And  the 
father  kisses  them 
all  right  in  front  of 
the  Examiner's  desk. 
It  is  against  all 
rules,  but  I  think  the 
Examiner  cannot 
Detained  See  clearly  for  a  mo- 

ment, and  when  he 
does,  he  says  a  few  gentle  words,  and  they  go  quietly  out 
of  the  room,  Angehca  holding  tight  to  her  father's  hand. 

So  good-bye,  httle  people;  and  may  America  never, 
never  be  anything  but  golden-rosy  to  you! 

Our  kind  missionary  friend,  to  whom  we  owe  tliis  visit 
to  Ellis  Island,  tells  us  we  must  see  the  Railroad  Waiting 
Room,  for  there  will  be  "lots"  of  children.    So  we  go  with 


17 


her  down  the  long  halls  to  the  waiting  room.  Lots  of  chil- 
dren? Indeed,  yes.  I  wonder  if  you  give  a  guess  how  often 
you  will  hit  the  countries  they  come  from?  There  are  the 
little  Hollanders  whom  you  have  already  seen.  A  sorrow- 
ful little  brother  and  sister,  for  their  mother  died  on  the 
way  over.  How  sturdily  and  tenderly  the  boy  protects  the 
little  sister,  whom  even  her  doll  cannot  comfort.  Presently 
they  will  be  sent  to  the  West  where  their  father  is  waiting 
for  them.  Surely,  those  big-eyed  boys  are  Russians,  and 
there  is  a  splendidly  handsome  little  fellow,  Murillo,  his  name 
should  be.  These  fair,  but  pink-cheeked  little  girls  are 
Swedes.  This  group  are  Spanish  gypsies,  and  these 
are  Syrians,  I  am  sure.  And  over  there — why  surely, 
over  there  are  our  Hungarians  once  more,  still  sitting 
in  a  row  and  still  is  Angelica's  arm  around  her  father's 
neck. 

Their  railroad  tickets  are  stuck  in  their  hats,  and  what 
do  we  read  thereon?  Why,  "Slatington,  Pa.,"  of  course, 
as  the  postmark  on  the  letter  said. 

Our  missionary  has  suddenly  left  us,  but  I  tliink  she  whis- 
pered "dolls"  as  she  flashed  away.  (The  missionaries  here 
come  and  go  in  a  "flash,"  I  notice.  I  suppose  it  is  because 
the  immigrants  are  usually  only  one  day  on  Ellis  Island, 

so  what  can  be  done 
for  them  must  be 
done  quickly,  for 
"they  may  not  pass 
this  way  again.") 
She  flashes  back 
with  her  arms  full. 
She  gives  a  toy  to 
each  of  the  boys,  a 
doll  to  Francesca,  a 
rag  doll  to  the  baby , 
and  a  beautiful  doll 

The  Way  They  Come  (one  family)  tO  Angelica;and 

that  darling  little 

Angelica  clasps  her  treasure  for  one  moment,  lays  her  tenderly 
down,  then  flies  to  our  missionary,  and  looking  up  at  her 
with  adoring  eyes,  takes  her  hand  and  kisses  it,  and  simply 
because  we  are  with  the  missionary  she  kisses  our  hands, 
too ;  and  the  grateful,  loving  pressure  of  one  little  immigrant's 
lips  makes  all  little  immigrants  dear. 

i8 


But  all  those  other  children.  Did  they  not  have  anything? 
You  remember  those  boxes— five-pound  boxes  of  candy  ?  The 
missionary  brings  one  with  her,  and  all  the  little  boys  and 
girls  in  that  big  room  are  soon  happily  and  stickily  munching 
in  many  languages,  though  there  would  seem  to  be  little 
difference  in  tongues.  And  is  it  not  a  curious  thing  that  to 
sight  and  taste  candy  is 
simply  and  instantly 
candy,  in  English,  as  it 
were. 

And  there's  another 
curious  tiling — blue  eyes, 
black  eyes,  brown  eyes, 
Russian,  Italian,  Greek, 
Swedish  —  twinkle  and 
smile  and  say,  "  Thank 
you,"  and  the  mission- 
ary's eyes  smile  back, 
"You're  welcome,"  and 
they  understand  one  an- 
other perfectly  without 
speaking  a  word. 

There's  a  fine  hospi-  The  Home  of  the  Little  Hollanders 

tal  at  Ellis  Island,  for 

many  times  sick  people  are  landed  from  the  steamers.  Here 
is  the  children's  ward,  bright  and  full  of  sunshine,  and 
happily  the  little  white  beds  are  nearly  all  empty  to-day. 

On  our  way  to  the  boat  why  is  ''Department  of  Com- 
merce and  Labor''  on  so  many  places?  Why?  Because 
-Uncle  Sam  has  put  all  matters  concerning  immigration  in 
the  charge  of  this  department,  and  "^this  boat  is  a  Govern- 
ment boat,  belonging  to  the  department.  And  it  is  wliile 
on  our  way  to  it  that  we  see  one  of  the  saddest  sights 
of  Ellis  Island — the  "S.  I."  people  who  have  been  turned 
back. 

It  must  be  that  they  have  some  dreadfully  "catching" 
disease;  or  possibly  they  are  convicts.  This  scowling  man 
may  be  an  "Anarchist,"  who  does  not  believe  in  any  kind  of 
government,  and  thinks  all  rulers  should  be  killed!  We  cer- 
tainly do  not  want  him  in  this  country,  for  he  would  never 
make  an  American!  It  is  for  the  sick  people,  and  the  families 
in  wliich  there  are  sick  people  that  we  are  most  sorry,  and 
they  look  in  need  of  all  the  sympathy  we  can  give. 


19 


So  we  leave  Ellis  Island;  but  let  us  stay  on  the  boat  to 
watch  the  crowd  of  immigrants  go  off.    Look  up  there  by 

the  Barge  Office.  Do  you 
see  a  wide  gateway  ? 
Uncle  Sam's  watchfulness 
ends  there;  but  just  out- 
side there  are  lines  of 
people  waiting  to  receive 
friends  and  relatives,  and 
with  those  who  have  no 
friends  to  meet  them  we 
are  quite  sure  to  find 
missionaries  who  will  see 
them  safely  tlirough  the 
difficulties  that  bristle  all 
about  their  way. 

The  Medical  Examination  The  day  We  hit  UpOn 

for  our  visit  has  been 
just  an  ordinary  one,  except  in  the  great  numbers  landed. 
There  are  extraordinary  days — one  in  each  year. 

On  this  day  there  are  several  steamers  coming  in;  it  is 
late  in  the  afternoon  of  one  of 
the  shortest  days  of  the  year; 
very  cold  and  dark.  At  the 
dock  are  many  immigrants — 
many,  many  children,  and  they 
are  sorrowful  and  homesick 
little  children,  for  is  not  this 
Cloristmas  eve?  And  at  home 
there  would  have  been  the 
Christmas  tree — a  tiny  one, 
perhaps,  but  still  a  Christmas 
tree  — with  candles  brightly 
sliining,  and  great  delight  and 
festivity.  All  day  long  they 
had  heard  nothing  but  bewail- 
ings  and  regrettings  from  the 
older  people,  until  now  their 
sad  little  hearts  feel  very  sore. 

No    Christmas    Eve,    and    no  Through  Crying 

beautiful  Christ-child  in  the 

strange  new  land,  so  they  say  over  and  over  again. 
It  is  very  dreary  and  cold  and  dark. 


20 


So  they  have  landed  and  now  they  pass  under  the  flag  into 
Uncle  Sam's  big,  warm  house.  They  lift  their  heavy  eyes — 
and  behold!  What  a  perfect  radiance  of  light  and  sparkle 
and  beauty!  Christmas  trees?  I  should  say  so.  A  forest 
of  them,  glittering  with  gold  and  silver,  brightly  twinkling 
with  thousands  of  tiny  lights,  and  weighed  down  with  gifts, 
and  from  far  above  them  floats  down  the  music  of  "the  song 
the  angels  sang. "  The  children  know  the  music  well,  although 
the  words  are  strange.  Sad  eyes  now?  No!  Hea\'y  hearts? 
No!  Look,  now,  at  the  happy  children!  And  this  fairyland 
of  beauty  is  not  all.    Each  one  has  a  box  of  candy  and  an 


The  Statue  of  Liberty 

orange,  and  every  one,  young  and  old,  has  a  gift  from  those 
wonderful  trees!  Watch  the  children  as  they  open  the 
Httle  purses  and  find  shining  inside  a  new  beautiful — is  it  a 
gold  penny?  There  are  little  marks  around  the  edge  which 
in  a  surprisingly  short  time  these  bright  little  children  will 
understand  to  say  "The  United  States  of  America."  May 
they  be  ''luck  pennies"  indeed  and  bring  the  very  best  kind 
of  luck  with  them! 

You  wonder  how  all  this  radiance  and  happiness 
could   have  been  brought   about?     I   wonder,   too,  but 


21 


it  is  those  wonderful  missionaries  who  have  done  it, 
though  I  fancy  Uncle  Sam  helped!  It  took  days  and  nights 
of  hard  work — work  and  the  spirit  of  the  Christ-child  in 
their  hearts.  And  surely  they  hear  from  His  lips  to-night, 
' '  I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  Me  in.  For  inasmuch  as  ye 
have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these,  ye  have  done  it 
unto  Me." 

Next  year  you  may  know  some  tiling  about  it  yourselves, 
for  it  is  quite  within  the  power  of  you  boys  and  girls  to  help. 

Did  I  mention  it?  The  colors  of  those  myriad  electric 
bulbs  were — red,  white,  and  blue! 


Ellis  Island 


22 


CHAPTER  III 


GATES  AND  NO  GATES 


^  OR  Ellis  Island  is  not  the  only  gate- 

^^1^  way  to  America,  though  through  it 

-^^^^.l"  there   came,  last  year,  nearly  800, 

^jlfll  000  immigrants.    There  are  at  least 

i    -      I  thirty -four    others,    where  strange 

^^S^      gfc  people  are  coming  from  all  parts  of 

^Fl^^^^SS^^  the  world,  in  all  a  million  and  more, 
^HM^HS^^^  many  of  them,  but  not  all,  to  find 
^^^^^^^^^^K  homes  in  this  land  of  ours.  For 
^^^^^^^^^^F        a  long,  long  time  people  have  been 

 1     coming  to  it  to  find  homes — almost 

Italian  since  the  day  Columbus  showed  the 

way  to  it!  So  many  tilings  hap- 
pened at  once,  just  about  that  time — a  few  years  before, 
perhaps,  or  a  few  years  after. 

Suppose  we  make  the  centre  of  them  all  a  date.  Now, 
don't  groan,  for  this  date  is  only  our  old  familiar  friend, 
1492,  whom  we  seem  to  meet  at  every  comer.  This  date 
and  all  the  other  things  that  led  to  the  coming  of  the  first 
emigrant  ship,  make  me  tliink  of  that  old  woman  who 
bought  a  pig  with  a  crooked  sixpence,  and  then  was  afraid 
she  could  not  get  home  that  night.  You  remember  what  a 
time  she  had  when  neither  dog  nor  stick  nor  fire  would 
help,  until  all  at  once 


"The  cat  began  to  kill  the  rat, 
The  rat  began  to  gnaw  the  rope, 
The  rope  began  to  hang  the  butcher, 
The  butcher  began  to  kill  the  ox. 
The  ox  began  to  drink  the  water. 
The  water  began  to  quench  the  fire, 
The  fire  began  to  burn  the  stick, 
The  stick  began  to  beat  the  dog, 
The  dog  began  to  bite  the  pig. 
The  little  pig,  in  a  fright,  jumped  over  the  stile, 
And  so  the  old  woman  got  home  that  night. " 


23 


You  see  it  was  only  necessary  to  get  the  cat  and  the  rat, 
and  the  rest  in  the  proper  order  and  they  started  them- 
selves. 

Just  so  as  to  the  beginning  of  Emigration  to  America. 
Here  are  the  happenings  that  rather  suggest  the  old 
woman  and  her  pig,  though  that  was  fun,  and  this  is 
earnest. 

First,  we  see  the  people  of  Europe;  dull,  dull,  dull, 
not  knowing  how  to  read,  and  with  scarcely  an  idea  in  their 

heads.  A  man  called 
Peter  the  Hermit  suc- 
ceeded in  putting  an 
Idea  into  their  heads, 
or  rather  their  hearts, 
and 

Second,  we  see  them 
— armies  of  them— start- 
ing eastward,  to  carry 
out  this  Idea. 

T hird.    S  ee  t  hi  s 

  beautiful  city,  with  glis- 

From  Bussia  tcuing  domcs  and  shin- 

ing minarets.  Shut  up 
in  the  city  are  nearly  all  the  hooks  that  Europe,  at  this 
time,  possesses. 

Fourth.  We  see  armies,  with  strange  new  artillery, 
coming  to  besiege  the  city,  and  the  Bosporus  glows  with 
crimson  light,  reflected  ^rom  the  streams  of  fire  that 
pour  over  the  walls  upon  the  enemy.  It  seems  a  magic 
fire — water  will  not  quench  it — but  the  heavy  balls  of  the 
new  artillery  triumph,  and  the  walls  of  the  city  fall. 

(You  may  not  think  it,  but  the  magic  fire — as  well  as 
the  balls — has  a  connection  with  our  Fourth  of  July.) 

Fijth.  While  the  city  is  falling,  let  us  look  into  a 
very  quiet  and  still  Scriptorium  {guess  at  the  meaning  of 
this  name,  if  you  do  not  already  know  it) ;  quiet  and 
still,  with  a  half-dozen  young  men  at  work;  but  it  stands 
for  Harper's,  Scribner's,  Macmillan  and  all  the  rest,  for  the 
Scriptorium  was  the  Publisliing  House  of  the  Middle  Ages. 
And  the  young  men  who  are  copying  manuscript  stand 
for  the  mighty  printing  presses  of  to-day,  for  they  make 
all  the  books  there  are.  As  we  watch  them  working  in 
"initials,"  we  see  that  they  at  least  know  the  secret  of 


24 


exquisite  "three-color"  work!  They  are  writing  on 
paper  made  from  sheepskin.  Why'?  Because  there  is 
nothing  else  to  write  on!  Unless  possibly  a  little  paper, 
made  of  papyrus  and  straw;  but,  as  they  carefully  copy, 
word  by  w^ord,  and  as  I  said,  while  the  walls  of  the  city  are 
falling. 

Sixth.  Not  very  far  away,  we  see  two  men,  mysteri- 
ously hidden  in  the  forest,  making  metal  type,  and  print- 
ing from  them,  and 

Seventh.  Look!  here  is  a  man  triumphantly  showing 
some  paper  which,  after  many  trials,  he  has  succeeded 
in  making  from  linen  rags. 

Eighth.  Now  comes  in  1492,  and  the  discovery  of 
America;    and  to  crown  all  these  things. 

Ninth,  we  see  flashing  lightning,  and  hear  thunder 
heavily  crashing  among  the  Hartz  Mountains  in  Germany. 
After  the  storm,  a  student  finds  in  the  library  of  a  German 
University  an  old  book,  which  he  has  never  before  seen. 
Later,  we  see  the  same  student — but  now  he  wears  a 
monk's  cowl — toiling  up  a  marble  stairway,  in  the  city 
of  Rome,  on  his 
knees.  When  part 
way  up,  he  stops  sud- 
denly. 

There!  I  have 
told  you  all  the 
story.  All  ^'ozi  need 
do  is  to  put  the 
different  parts  in 
their  proper  order, 
look  off  toward  the 
East,  and — did  I  not 
tell  you?- — -there, 
just  rising  above  the  Courtesy  of  Benj.  F.  Bnck. 
horizon,  is  the  May-  Italian- Swiss  Colony,  Astl,  Cal. 

fower.'*  Presently 

vou  will  see  the  first  immigrants  landing  on  Plymouth  Rock! 

And  so  began  the  coming  of  immigrant  ships  to  Ameri- 
ca; and  vou  can  make  a  tolerably  good  guess  as  to  the 
kind  of  Americans  their  passengers  will  make  if  you  know 
the  reasons  for  their  coming.    "They  have  always  been 

*We  can  hardly  regard  the  vessels  of  the  "Jamestown  Experiments"  as 
"Immigrant"  ships. 


25 


coming" — yes;  but  lately  they  have  been  coming 
in  enormous  numbers,  and  they  land  at  many  different 
points,  which  is  the  reason  for  our  thirty -four  (or  m.ore) 
Immigrant  Stations  or  "  Gates if  we  choose  to  call  them  so. 

I  am  sure  you  could  easily  name  the  first  and  most 
important. 

Boston,  of  course,  is  one,  and  at  least  sixty-five  thou- 
sand entered  by  it  last  year.  Baltimore's  gate  has  almost 
as  many  to  go  through  it  as  Boston's.  After  Baltimore, 
come  New  Bedford  Mass.;  Bangor,  Maine;  Key  West, 
Florida,   and  several  others  on  the  Atlantic  Coast. 

But,  3^ou  see,  we  have  now  a  front  door  and  a  back 
door — the  difficulty  is  to  settle  wliich  is  front  and  which 


Free  Kindergarten 


is  back,  for  in  New  York,  San  Francisco  is  thought  to  be 
at  the  rear  of  the  house,  while  in  San  Francisco  people 
say,  "Back  in  New  York." 

Well,  at  front  door  or  back,  there  are  immigrants 
clamorously  knocking,  but,  as  at  Ellis  Island,  not  all  are 
allowed  to  come  in. 

The  western  gates  at  San  Francisco,  Seattle  and  Port- 
land are  not  so  interesting  to  us  as  the  eastern  gates,  for 
in  the  stream  of  new-comers,  it  is  the  children  we  are 
watching  for,  and  not  very  many  children  cross  the  Pacific ; 
but  children   almost  beyond  numbering  sail  over  the 


26 


Atlantic  and  come  in  at  all  the  eastern  gates.  But,  in 
addition  to  the  front  and  back  doors,  there  are  all  the  side 
entrances!  Four  thousand  miles  on  the  Canadian  border, 
and  about  three  thousand  on  the  Mexican  frontier,  and 

Porto  Rico  and 
Hawaii,  besides! 

It  is  not  an 
easy  matter  to 
guard  all  the 
possible  enter- 
ing places;  and 
it  is  necessary  to 
guard  them  well, 
for  you  would 
hardly  believe 
there  would  be 
so  many  people 
trying  to  smug- 
gle themselves 
or  others  into 
the  United 
States.  This  Ca- 
nadian side  has 
been  the  easiest 

way  to  get  in.  It  is  not  so  easy  now,  since  Immigrant 
Stations  have  been  estabhshed  at  Halifax,  Quebec,  and 
Montreal. 

We  can  easily 
see  how  these  Sta- 
tions help,  but  how 
do  the  Inspectors 
manage  to  guard  the 
long  frontier  ?  These 
are  some  of  the 
ways:  Every  day 
they  examine  in- 
•coming  trains,  look- 
ing for  foreigners 
who  are  being  smug- 
gled in.  Fancy 
what  this  means,  for  the  Immigration  Ofhce  has  accounts 
with  forty-five  companies  doing  a  passenger-transportation 
business  across  the  boundary,  between  the  Atlantic  and 


An  Italian  Tenemerd,  Nev)  York  City 


Courtesy  of  Benj.  F.  Buck 

Market  Bay  at  Independence,  La. 


27 


Pacific  Oceans,  and  from  them  all — trains,  trolleys,  ferry 
and  lake  boats — more  than  6,000,000  passengers  entered 
the  United  States  last  year;  among  them  were  nearly 
fifty  thousand  immigrants. 

Niagara  Falls  is  a  favorite  place  for  the  smugglers, 
who  hope  that  among  the  thousands  of  passengers  they 
may  escape  inspection.  But  so  alert  are  the  officers 
that  this  seldom  happens — even  at  Niagara  Falls. 

The  Inspectors  watch  the  ferries  and  fleets  of  steamers 
on  the  Great  Lakes.  All  the  year  through,  in  the  hardest 
weather,  they  have  boarded  every  train,  met  every  ferry 
and  every  steamer  coming  by  lake,  river,  or  sound,  and  in 
one  year  have  prevented  from  entering  the  United  States 


Immigrants  at  Honolulu 


more  than  five  thousand  immigrants,  many  of  them 
having  terribly  contagious  diseases,  and  many  being 
escaped  convicts.  Just  now  they  are  especially  careful, 
for  in  Denmark,  a  very  large  number  of  convicts  have 
lately  been  released  from  jail,  and  without  doubt,  many 
of  them  have  it  in  mind  to  try  to  get  into  the  United  States. 


28 


Notwithstanding  all  the  care  and  watching,  occasion- 
ally smugglers  do  get  in.  Not  long  ago  a  party  of  twenty 
immigrants,  nineteen  of  them  having  trachoma,  a  hopeless 
and  terrible  eve  disease  (do  you  remember  the  T  on  coat 
lapels  at  Elhs  Island?  It  meant  trachoma),  tried  to  get 
over  the  border.    The  railroads  refused  to  carry  them. 


Everdng  School,  New  York  Citrj  —  Twenty-seven  Nationalities 


But  some  man  agreed  to  furnish  them  wagons,  and  delib- 
erately drove  them  over  the  border  into  North  Dakota! 
He  was  arrested  though,  as  were  twenty  other  smugglers. 
Finding  the  Canadian  side  so  well  guarded,  these  smug- 
glers are  now  trying  the  Mexican  border.  So  it  has  be- 
come necessary  to  establish  Stations  all  the  way  along 
from  Florida  to  California.  New  Orleans  and  El  Paso 
are  very  important  stations. 

At  El  Paso  all  passenger  trains  are  examined,  and  smug- 
glers, knowing  this,  bring  in  their  immigrants  in  sealed  freight- 
cars,  which  by  the  co-operation  of  the  railroad  men  are  shifted 
in  such  a  way  that  the  inspectors  cannot  examine  them. 
They  leave  no  ways  untried,  these  smugglers,  and  it  is  safe 
to  say  that  Americans  are  very  seldom  "made"  out  of  the 
foreigners  who  try  to  enter  where  there  are  no  gates! 


29 


30 


CHAPTER  IV 


NEW  YORK  ARITHMETIC 


Spanish 


I  VERY  forty  seconds  an  immigrant  enters 
New  York."  Every  forty  seconds  I  That 
must  amount  to  a  considerable  number 
in  a  year,  don't  you  tliink?  Will  you 
I  work  it  out,  while  I  try  to  find  how 
many  of  those  who  come  in  a  year  are 
children  ?  We  do  not  care  so  much  for 
the  grown-ups,  you  know.  It  is  the 
children  who  are  going  to  make  real 
Americans.  You  remember,  don't  you, 
what  crowds  of  children  there  were  at 
Ellis  Island  that  day — but  what  did  you 
say?  Seven  hundred  eighty-eight  thousand, 
four  hundredl  Is  it  possible  that  just  one  in  every  forty 
seconds  comes  to  that?  It's  tremendous,  isn't  it?  Not  all 
of  them  stay  in  New  York,  but  there  are  thousands  and 
thousands  who  do,  and  I  have  found  out  now  that  last 
year  there  were  nearly  fifty  thousand 
more  children  to  be  placed  in  the  public 
schools  than  the  year  before.  We  shall 
take  a  look  presently  at  the  schools  after 
we  learn  why  so  many  immigrants  stay 
in  New  York. 

We  were  speaking  of  that  day  at 
Ellis  Island  and  of  the  crowds  of  chil- 
dren. So  many  dark,  sparkling  eyes 
and  so  many  dark  but  not  so  sparkling. 
The  first  are  Italians  from  the  south  of 
Italy;  the  sad  eyes  come  from  Russia. 

Many  of  them  will  stay  in  New 
York,  and,  as  they  make  their  way 
up  West  Street  by  the  North  River, 
(which  notwithstanding  their  names 
run  in  the  same  direction),  closely 
/6  following  their  guide,  shall  we  follow 

them  ?  First  to  the  Italian  quar- 
ter, and  afterward  we  will  go  over  to  the  East  Side  to  the 
Jewish  quarter,  or  Ghetto.  We  soon  reach  "Little  Italy," 
there  are  manv  such  in  New  York.    What  crowds  of  children 


id 

io 

y  Z  o  o 

V  2)0.0  CO 

2  S-f  ^  Q  a 
3  /  ^3  C  60  d 


JZ-. 


31 


in  the  streets,  and,  for  that  matter,  what  streets!  and  what 
houses!  But  they  are  not  as  bad  as  they  were  before  good 
people  began  to  try  to  make  them  better.  The  worst  of  the 
tenements  now  are  better  than  the  best  of  them  used  to  be, 
and  the  crowds  of  claildren  are  not  so  great,  either,  for  many 
of  those  who — Hve? — well,  eat  and  sleep  in  the  tenements, 
are  now  in  the  late  afternoon  having  good  times  and  becoming 
healthy  Americans  in  park  and  playground  and  on  recrea- 
tion pier. 

The  street  is  still  quite  full  enough  of  people  and  hand- 
carts, fruit  stands,  street  pianos,  to  the  music  of  which 
many  a  little  girl  is  dancing,  though  the  sound  is  nearly 
drowned  out  by  the  peddlers  shouting  their  wares — vege- 
tables and  fish  with 
very  queer  names. 
Signs  and  posters 
here  are  all  in  Italian. 
Newsboys  dart  here 
and  there,  wherever 
there  is  a  chance  to 
sell  a  "  BoUetino  "  or 
"  Progresso  "  or  "  Ar- 
aldo."  They  are 
certainly  a  sign 
that,  Italian  as 
everv^tliing  seems  to 
us,  these  foreigners 
are  becoming  Amer- 
icans, for  the  news- 
paper is  one  of  the  things  that  help  in  the  making. 

Little  Italy,  as  I  said,  seems  very  Itahan  to  us,  but 
the  people  who  have  landed  to-day  seem  not  to  feel  at  home, 
but  quite  bewildered.  It  is  not  Italy  at  all  to  them,  but  a 
place  where  ever\^thing  is  strange.  Even  the  old  friends 
and  neighbors  who  come  to  greet  them  are  so  changed  and 
so  "Americanized"  that  they  hardly  seem  the  people  whom 
they  used  to  know. 

It  is  astonishing  how  soon  the  children  become  Americans! 
Look  at  the  boys  playing — ItaHan  games?  No!  Marbles; 
it  would  be  baseball  if  there  were  no  policeman  about,  and 
will  be  when  he  departs.  The  little  girls  are  playing  "  London 
Bridge  is  falling  down,"  and  "All  around  the  mulberr}^  bush." 
They  skip  rope — the  rope  and  even  the  skipping  may  be 


32 


Italian  but  the  words  they  are  calhng  are  "  Pepper,  salt, 
mustard,  vinegar."  Games  need  sharp  seasoning  in  Little 
Italy!  You  will  hardly  believe  the  numbers  of  Italians  there 
are  in  New  York — ^nearly  half  a  million.  What  makes  them 
come?  Well,  it  is  partly  because  so  many  have  come  that 
more  are  continually  coming,  for  Italians  like  to  keep  to- 
gether; but  there  are  other  reasons.  You  remember  when 
we  saw  them  counting  out  their  money  at  Ellis  Island  there 
was  not  very  much  of  it.    So  they  must  get  work  and  wages 


In  Need  of  Help 

at  once.  They  can  generally  get  it  through  some  friend  or 
by  paying  commission  to  an  agent  in  the  quarter.  The  first 
Italians  who  came  over  did  not  "work,"  they  went  about  with 
hand-organs  and  monkeys,  the  latter  delighting  some  chil- 
dren and  frightening  others,  but  fascinating  all,  collected 
pennies  at  such  a  rate  that  the  organ-grinder  could  vory 
soon  send  home  for  his  family!  But  hand-organs  w^ent  out 
and  the  push-cart  came  in,  and  the  push-cart  remains,  but 
Greeks — for  there  is  also  a  Greek  quarter  in  New  York — 
have  about  ousted  the  Italians  from  the  business.  The 


33 


Italian  now  is  "  the  man  with  a  shovel "  or  spade.  And  now  we 
do  not  wonder  that  he  stays  in  New  York,  for  to  be  dug  seems 
to  be  New  York's  principal  object  in  hfe — dug  up  for  electrics 
and  pipes  and  tilings;  dug  down  for  the  foundations  of  sky- 
scrapers; dug  under  for  subways,  and  dug  through  for  tun- 
nels— a  Paradise,  truly — for  the  man  who  wants  to  dig!  And 
that  man  just  now  is  the  Italian.  His  cloildren,  when  they 
are  men,  will  not  want  to  do  it;  they  will  be  Americans  then! 
Who  then,  will?  We  need  not  worry,  for  New  York  by  that 
time  will  surely  be  worse  than  the  catacombs  of  Rome,  and 


Italian  Sweat  Shop,  Xew  York  City 


cannot  be  dug  any  more,  lest  evers^body  fall  in — though  then, 
to  be  sure,  they  would  still  need  to  be  dug  out. 

Anyway,  the  Itahan  is  likely  to  have  a  chance  to  use 
his  spade  as  long  as  he  wants  to,  and  meanwhile  unless 
some  one  comes  to  the  rescue,  the  streets  of  New  York 
will  be  making  thousands  and  thousands  of  a  very  poor 
kind  of  American  out  of  his  children.  You  can  imagine  the 
kind  of  American  you  would  make  if  things  were  so  with 
you. 


54 


And  as  it  is  in  New  York,  so  it  is  in  other  large  cities. 
The  Jewish  "'quarter"  on  the  East  Side  seems  more  hke 
a  third.  There  are  many  queer  sights  in  it.  And  after  all 
we  have  seen  in  our  walk  up  from  the  Battery  the  strangest 
sight  of  all  is  one  we  do  not  see,  as  an  Irish- American 
might  say,  for  in  New  York  there  are  Irish  quarters  too — 
many  of  them.  Look  carefully  as  we  make  our  w^ay  along 
through  several  blocks — and,  if  Little  Italy  was  crowded, 
what  do  you  think  of  this?  Notice  especially  the  street 
corners.  Now — what  dont  you 
see  ? 

Xot  a  single,  solitary  saloon. 
Even  so,  and  we  shall  have  to 
look  sharply  and  perhaps  travel 
far  in  the  Jewish  Ghetto  to  find 
one.  One  good  mark  for  the 
Russian  Jew!  There  are  Coffee 
Saloons  (where  the  patrons 
drink  tea — a  la  Russe),  and  very 
numerous  "  Coffee  and  Cake 
Parlors,"  which  are  really  res- 
taurants and  workingmen's 

clubs,  combined.  Jn  the  Woods 

What  particularly  interests 
us  in  this  matter  is  the  proof  that  Jewish  children — who  are 
none  too  happy — are, spared  the  wretchedness  of  fathers 
who  spend  their  money  in  saloons,  and  at  last  come 
home  in  such  a  state  that  wild  beasts  could  not  be  more 
terrifying  or  dangerous. 

But  these  boys  and  girls  of  the  Ghetto — even  the  little 
children — it  is  hard  to  think  of  them.  Did  they,  too,  have 
dreams  of  a  bright  and  happy  America,  I  wonder?  They 
do  not  find  it,  poor  little  things — in  the  sweat-shops  or 
factories,  where  many  of  them,  four  years  old,  five,  six. 
seven — work,  work,  work,  the  long  day  through.  When 
darkness  comes,  too  tired  to  eat,  they  fall  heavily  asleep, 
to  be  awakened — so  soon  I — by  shrill  whistles,  w^hich  send 
them  forth  again  to  work.  No  sunshine,  no  play,  no 
childhood,  for  these  little  ones,  in  our  free,  happy  and 
Christian  America.  Not  only  in  New  York  is  it  so.  The 
mines  of  Pennsylvania,  the  cotton  mills  of  the  South,  the 
stock  yards  of  Chicago — in  all  there  are  suffering  little 
•"hildren  of  immigrants. 


35 


I  saw,  one  day,  some  of  these  little  children,  a  hundred, 
perhaps,  gathered  from  the  East  Side  of  New  York,  to 
have  a  "  Happy  Day  "  in  the  country.  Part  of  their  happi- 
ness— as  we  thought — was  to  consist  in  having  plenty 
to  eat  that  day.  We  knew  before,  but  anyway  should 
have  learned  it  from  the  thin,  thin  little  bodies  under  frock 
or  jacket  that  they  seldom  had  enough  to  eat. 

But  they  should  have  to-day!  and  of  the  very  nicest 
tilings.  For  once,  at  least,  they  should  not  be  hungry. 
And  when  boat  and  train  and  trolley  had  brought  them 
to  the  beautiful  woods  on  the  mountain  side,  we  thought 
they  would  be  nearly  famished  for  sometliing  to  eat. 
Famished  they  must  have  been,  but  not  hungry;  for 
when  food  was  brought  them,  they  looked  at  it  dully, 
lifted  up  heavy  eyes,  and  with  sad  little  shakes  of  the 
head,  said  "No;  tanks,"  and  turned  listlessly  away.  Over- 
worked, they  were.    Such  little  children. 

We  could  scarcely  bear  it.  What,  then,  must  such 
a  sight  have  been  to  Him  who  took  the  little  children 

in  His  arms  and 
blessed  them — 
as  though  he 
said,  "Be happy 
and  gay,  little 
children,  for 
happiness  be- 
longs to  you. " 

But  that  was 
in  the  morning. 
And  all  tlorough 
the  lovely  sum- 
mer day  Christ's 
own  blessing 
seemed  to  be  in 
the  blue  of  the 
sky  and  the  soft 
white  clouds  ;  to  rest  over  the  daisy  fields  and  in  the 
gurgling  water  of  the  little  brook,  to  come  wafted  on 
the  breezes,  bringing  sweetness  of  clover  and  fresh-cut 
grass,  and  to  sing  in  the  joyous  trilling  of  the  birds, 
and  lo !  in  the  afternoon  there  came  happy,  rested, 
hungry  little  children  to  enjoy  the  meal  that  was  ready 
for  them. 

36 


starting  for  the  Woods 


And  after  the  meal?  Why  you  know  we  are  making 
Americans,  and  this  was  the  third  of  July,  so  of  course, 
there  was  a  flag-raising,  and  I  wish  you  could  have  seen 
our  little  citizens-to-be  give  the  Salute!  Only  we  could 
not  see  them  very  well.  There  seemed,  indeed,  to  be 
something  the  matter  with  our  eyes  all  that  day.  But 

you  must  man- 
age to  see  clearly 
after  the  flag- 
raising  and  the 
singing  of  "My 
Country,  'tis  of 
Thee."  Like  an- 
other company 
that  Christ  had 
blessed,  our  chil- 
dren "sat  down 
in  rows  upon  the 
green  grass."  It 
was  a  pretty 
sight  in  the  late 
afternoon  sun- 
shine, and  did 
not  lack  in  color, 
for   there  were 

Sag-Pickers  boWCrs   of  fcms 

and  daisies  and 

clover  and  "black-eyed  Susans,"  which  thb  cliildren  had 
gathered,  and  from  which  they  could  not  be  parted  for  a 
moment,  and  in  each  "brick"  of  ice-cream  there  stood 
erect  and  fl.oated  proudlv  the  red,  white  and  blue  of  the 
flag. 

I  think  the  cliildren  were  perfectly  happy  then.  But- — 
perfectly  happy?  For  one  little  girl,  at  least,  there  was 
a  flaw  in  the  perfect  day.  It  was  in  New  Jersey.  And 
she  first  twitched  one  foot,  and  then  the  other,  and  sud- 
denly said,  in  tones  of  distress,  "Teacher,  teacher;  them 
Nanny-goats  is  bitin'  me!!"  We  never  quite  understood 
it — the  twitching  we  understood,  and  the  tones — we 
live  in  New  Jersey — but  they  are  not  so  large  that  they  need 
be  called  Nanny-goats!  It  rather  hurt  our  feelings.  But 
the  day  was  perfect — all  but  tlais  swarm  (not  at  all  a 
thick  one)  of  Jersey — Nanny-goats  ! 


37 


The  heart-breaking  time  was  the  leaving.  I  cannot  for- 
get one  Httle  girl,  such  a  tliin,  pale  little  body,  who  gazed 
long  at  the  sunny  field  where  bright  daisy-heads  were  bend- 
ing and  tossing  in  the  rippling  breezes;  the  merry  little 
brook;  the  trees  casting  long  shadows  now  from  the  westering 
sun;  then,  looking  up  at  me,  "Teacher,  I  wt:>ht  I  could  stay 
here,"  she  said. 


Italian  Truck  Gardens  of  Tennessee 


But  the  trolleys  were  waiting  at  the  nearest  point,  and 
all  must  go  aboard;  baskets  of  food  "to  take  home,"  flowers, 
and  the  cliildren,  who,  waving  their  flags — not  the  tiny  ice- 
cream flags — these  were  pinned  on  their  jackets — but 
big  ones  "to  keep,"  and  to  help  them  to  be  Americans — 
weaving  these  and  singing,  said  good-bye  to  the  Happy  Day. 
We  scarcely  saw  the  weaving,  though,  for  the  thought  that 
clutched  coldly  at  our  hearts,  that  for  these  little  children 
the  happy  day  *was  over,  and  to-morrow  morning  early  and 
in  all  the  summer  days  to  come,  they  must  stifle  out  their 
lives  at  hard  labor. 

One  thing  you  happy  boys  and  girls  can  do — must  do — you 
must  help  to  stop  the  suffering  and  torture — for  it  is  that, 
and  you  can  help — of  these  little  strangers  within  our  gates. 

And  I  can  tell  you  that — ^unless  they  die  first — these 
cliildren  of  the  Ghetto,  if  given  half  a  chance,  are  going  to 
make  true  and  loyal  Americans  after  a  while. 


38 


How  do  I  know?  Well,  you  should  just  visit  the  night 
schools  over  in  the  Jewish  quarter — crowded  with  those  who 
have  been  working  long  hours  in  the  sweat-shops,  conquering 
the  English  language,  with  its  baffling  "th's"  and  "w's"; 
and  ask  some  one  to  tell  you  whether  there  were  any 
Jewish  boys  in  our  army  in  Cuba,  and  if  so,  what  kind  of 
soldiers  they  made ;  and  they  have  and  can  read  almost  the 
best  book  on  citizenship  that  was  ever  written.  It  is  you 
boys  and  girls  who  have  the  very  best!  I  wonder  whether 
you  have  ever  thought  to  look  up  its  recipes  for  making  good 
Americans  ? 

There  are  many  other  "quarters"  in  New  York.  The 
Syrian  quarter,  for  instance,  down  near  the  Battery;  the 
Cliinese — more  often  called  Chinatown.    You  should  see 


It  a-lio- Americans 

this  at  night  to  get  the  full  effect  of  the  long  rows  of  lanterns 
and  signs;  great  stretches  of  blocks  which  make  up  the 
German-/za//,  it  would  seem  to  be.  There  are  Spanish, 
Persian — 

But  how  can  there  be  so  many  quarters?  DonH  four  quar- 
ters make  one  whole?  Why,  yes;  they  should,  but  fractions 
do  "act  up"  sometimes.  I  am  sure  you  have  often  found 
it  to  be  so.    If  you  have  "begun  Caesar"  you  will  recall, 


39 


for  instance,  the  case  of  "All  Gaul."  Does  not  Caesar  say  it 
was  'quartered  into  three  halves"?  wliich  is  harder  to 
"reduce"  than  so  many  quarters. 

Suppose  we  try  tlois :  If  four  quarters  make  one  New  York, 
then  would  not  eleven  (or  so)  quarters  make  a — Greater  New 
York?  This  may  not  be  correct.  I  have  always  heard, 
anyway,  that  "New  York  is  an  unsolved  problem  in  immi- 
gration," so  it  is  quite  natural  that  this  chapter  should  begin 
and  end  with  struggles  in  arithmetic. 


At  \S'ork  in  the  Apple  Dryer,  Tontitown,  Ark.— Italian  Colony 


40 


CHAPTER  V 


THE  "R.  R.'S" 

E  saw  them,  you  remember,  at  Ellis 
Island,  when,  having  passed  the 
doctor's  examination  and  answ^ered 
the  inspector's  twenty-two  questions 
(there  must  be  twenty-two;  the 
game  of  Twenty  Questions  is  not 
played  at  Ellis  Island),  and  having 
shown  their  money,  they  are  marked 
"R.  R."  and  passed  from  the  Regis- 
try Desk  on  to  a  point  at  the  right. 

  where  suddenly  they  disappear! 

Lithuanian  They  sceni  to  drop  through  a 

hole  in  the  floor,  and  that  is  the  last 
we  see  of  them — at  that  time.  Fortunately  we  know  what 
the  letters  stand  for,  though  to  those  who  wear  them  they 
must  have  been  only  one  more  puzzle  in  a  long  chain  of  in- 
comprehensible tilings. 

''What  do  they  stand  for?''  Why — Railroads,  of  course, 
and  by  means  of  them  w^e  may  catch  a  glimpse  of  man}^  who 
so  mysteriously  vanished  from  our  sight  that  day. 

Well,  first  there  is  the  New  York,  New  Haven  i.^^  Hart- 
ford, and  its  extensions.  It  takes  us  to  mills  and  factories 
in  New  England  where  there  are  many  immigrants  who  come 
by  way  of  Ellis  Island.  There  are  more,  perhaps,  who  are 
landed  at  Boston,  but  the  largest  number  in  these  mills  and 
factories  are  French  Canadians,  who,  in  general,  enter  our 
country  by  one  or  other  of  the  land  gates. 

But  the  N.  Y.,  N.  H.  &  H.  carries  us  also  to  many  an 
"abandoned  farm;"  stony  and  barren,  some  of  them  are,  with 
soil  all  used  up  and  worn  out ;  but  men  who  in  Sicily  have 
terraced  mountains  to  make  little  garden  patches,  and  who 
are  so  skillful  in  irrigation  as  to  almost  make  water  run  up- 
hill, are  not  to  be  disheartened  or  discouraged  by  a  few  stones 
or  other  obstacles  in  the  way  of  success ;  and  it  is  quite  likely 
if  you  were  to  go  to  live  in  Hartford  or  New  Haven  you  would 
find  your  best  milk  and  finest  cheese  and  most  luscious  fruits 
and  vegetables  came  from  the  dair}^  and  "truck"  farms  of 
Italians,  who,  with  their  children,  are  fast  becoming 
Americans. 


41 


There  are  Jewish  farmers,  too,  in  New  England.  Would 
there  were  more!  It  will  be  a  happy  day  for  the  children 
when  farms  take  the  place  of  the  sweat-shops. 

It  is  likely  that  some  of  the  R.  R.'s  took  the  New  York 
Central  to  Canastota,  New  York,  to  join  friends  and  relatives 
already  there.  Here  are  truck  farms,  and  houses  and  bams, 
and  here  are  Italian  boys  and  girls  who  are  becoming  such 
good  Americans  that  even  now  you  can  hardly  tell  that 
they  are  Italians. 

Visit  the  schools  if  you  have  any  doubt  about  it!  It  is 
possible  you  may  hear  of  these  scholars  some  day,  for  they 
are  ambitious  and  mean  that  you  shall. 

Many  a  Russian  Jew  marked  R.  R.  went  down  that  hole  in 
the  floor,  too!  And  some  of  them,  by  way  of  the  West  Jersey, 
turned  up  later  away  down  at  the  point  between  Delaware 
Bay  and  the  Ocean,  where  are  Jewish  colonies  at  Woodbine 
and  other  places.  These  colonies  had  hard  times  at  first, 
but  are  prosperous  now.  If  you  want  to  know  what  straw- 
berries and  peaches  really  are, 
you  might  try  some  from  these 
farms  and  orchards. 

This  is  the  place  to  which  the 
children  of  the  Ghetto  should  go. 
The  free  air  makes  Americans  of 
them  in  a  jiffy! 

But  some  R.  R.'s  were  fair 
with  rosy  cheeks  and  blue  eyes. 
If  W3  take  any  of  the  roads 
which  lead  to  Minnesota  or 
Wisconsin,  I  am  sure  we  shall 
meet  some  of  them,  for  years  ago 
their  countrymen  went  to  this 
region  to  open  it  up  and  settle 
it,  so  that  now  whole  cities  and 
the  great  farming  country  are 
almost  entirely  Scandinavian — 

that  is,  the  people    came   from  a  Wisconsin  Citizen 

Norway  or  Sweden  or  Denmark. 

Scandinavians  make  good  Americans — very — and  those 
whom  we  saw  at  Ellis  Island  are  probably  on  their  way 
to  join  their  countrymen  in  the  Northwest,  and  there 
swell  the  ranks  of  good  citizens  of  Uncle  Sam. 

These  R.  R.'s  will  take  us  all  over  the  United  States 


42 


if  we  attempt  to  follow  wherever  they  go.  1  am  sure  some 
Itahan  R.  R.'s  went  to  Cahfornia,  for  Cahfornia  is  more 
Uke  Itah^  than  any  other  part  of  tliis  country,  and  there 
are  now,  in  various  parts  of  it,  about  forty-six  thousand 
Itahans,  who  own  nearly  three  thousand  farms,  vineyards 
and  orchards.  There  are  some  things  you  should  notice 
about  the  Ital- 
ian immigrants. 
They  pay  as 
they  go,  as  a 
general  thing, 
and  are  almost 
never  paupers. 
And  in  Califor- 
nia at  least, 
where  are  all 
those  acres  of 
beautiful  vine- 
yards, intoxica- 
tion among 
them  is  almost  j'uivu  ->,u:^s  coior,y  ut  a^u,  cai. 

unknown. 

We  find  Itahans  also  in  Arkansas  and  Texas  and 
Louisiana,  cultivating  cotton  and  sugar;  in  North  Car- 
olina and  Tennessee,  where  their  "truck"  farms  are  be- 
coming famous.  In  Florida,  too,  and  Mississippi,  are 
colonies.  All  roads  going  South  took  some,  perhaps, 
though  generally  immigrants  bound  for  the  South  enter 
the  gates  of  Baltimore  or  Charleston. 

Besides  all  the  R.  R.'s  who  dropped  out  of  sight  that 
day,  you  will  remember  the  crowds  in  the  waiting-room. 
The  Lackawanna  will  help  us  to  find  many  of  them,  who 
were  bound  for  the  coal  fields  of  Pennsylvania.  We  have 
a  special  interest  in  some  of  the  mining  towns,  and  may 
come  back  here  later. 

But  do  you  know  what  I  have  been  tlainking  all  tlais 
time  that  we  have  been  flying  over  the  railroads?  Why, 
of  the  roads  themselves!  Who  made  them?  "The  rail- 
road w^as  the  magic  key  that  unlocked  America. "  Who 
made  it  ? 

Away  up  in  North  Dakota,  almost  at  the  end  of  civil- 
ization, a  railroad  is  just  now  being  built,  at  the  rate  of 
two  miles  a  day,  too — so  as  to  catch  the  wheat  h^^vest, 


43 


which  will  be  ready  presently.  Let  us  watch,  for  a 
moment,  the  hundreds  of  laborers — immigrants — who 
are  fairly  flinging  the  tracks  across  the  prairie.  How 
strong  they  are  and  how  willing  to  work  hard.  And  do 
notice  the  Contractor — an  immigrant,  too,  from  the 
North  of  Ireland,  who  has  built  thousands  of  miles  of 
railroad,  not  only  over  prairies  like  tliis,  but  also  in  the 
heart  of  the  Cascades  and  the  Rockies,  where  a  mountain 
sheep  could  scarcely  have  found  a  footing. 

With  system  and  energy,  he  orders  the  w^ork — but  who 
does  ifi  Not  Americans — no,  immigrants,  and  it  has  been 
by  immigrants,  hundreds  of  thousands  of  them,  from 
Ireland,  Itaty,  Bohemia,  Hungary,  that  almost  all  our 
great  roads  have  been  made. 

"  R.  R.'s"  indeed;  they  deserve  the  name;  and  while 
we  are  trying  to  make  Americans  of  them,  have  they 
not  been  making  America? 


The  Flag  Salute 


44 


CHAPTER  VI 


MAKERS  OF  AMERICANS 

F  you  do  not  want  to  wait,  but  wish 
to  see,  at  this  moment,  the  foreigner 
of  to-day  becoming  the  American  of 
to-morrow,  just  take  a  look  with  me 
into  the  kindergartens  (strangely 
enough,  this  name  itself  is  a  for- 
eigner, which  has  never  become 
American),  which  we  may  find  now 
in  city  and  countr}-;  some  of  them 
a  part  of  the  system  of  public  schools, 
some  of  them  carried  on  in  connection 
Swiss  with  Settlements,  others  under  the 

care  of  churchesor  missionary  societies. 
Where  shall  we  go  first?  Why,  naturally,  to  those 
places  where  the  children  most  abound,  although  when 
we  speak  of  kindergartens  the  first  one  that  comes  to  mind 
is  at  "Slatington,  Pa.,  U.  S.  A,"  where  Francesca  and  An- 
gehca  and  the  boys  must  be  able,  by  this  time,  to  greet 
us  in  English!  But  we  cannot  leave  New  York  just  yet, 
for  there,  in  kindergartens,  we  shall  find  thousands  and 
thousands  of  little  foreigners;  in  some  of  them  tliirty  or 
forty  different  "kinds."  Indeed,  there  is  at  least  one 
kindergarten  where,  in  the  block  in  wliich  it  is  situated, 
more  than  sixty  languages  are  spoken — outside,  but  not 
-in  the  kindergarten.  No;  there  they  speak  English,  and 
they  learn  it  in  the  shortest  time!  And  when  you  see 
these  little  people  from  Italy  and  Russia  and  Syria,  Greece, 
Austria,  Hungarv" — each  morning  giving  the  salute  to  the 
flag,  and  marching  to  patriotic  songs,  you  do  not  doubt 
that  they  will  be  Americans  to-morrow! 

And  it  is  a  happy  tiling  they  are  in  the  kindergarten, 
for  they  w^ould  also  learn  quickly  if  they  were  growing  up  in 
the  streets — ^but  their  first  steps  could  scarcely,  in  that  case, 
lead  to  good  citizensliip. 

The  kindergarten  starts  them  in  the  ver\^  path  that  leads 
to  it — in  happy  play,  happy,  honest  work,  and  happy  obe- 
dience to  the  Golden  Rule. 

After  the  kindergarten  comes  the  real  school.    You  all 


45 


know  what  that  means,  only  you  must  add  to  your  work,  as  it 
is,  the  thought  of  doing  it  all  in  a  foreign  language. 

So  the  children  who  com^e  to  America  little  enough  to  go 
to  the  kindergarten  are  the  fortunate  ones,  for  when  they 
enter  the  primary  school,  they  can  already  think  in  English! 

Just  try  to  realize  how  full  these  schools  must^be.  We 
are  thinking  now  of  those  in  the  lower  East  Side  of  New  York, 
which  is  so  crowded  that  if  all  parts  of  Greater  New  York 
were  as  full  there  would  be  in  it  as  many  people  as  in  all  the 
United  States,  and  of  course  you  know  how  many  that  would 
be.  No  wonder  there  is  not  room  in  the  schools  for  all  the 
children.  You  remember  that  there  were  fifty  thousand 
more  last  year  than  the  year  before,  and  the  wise  people 
now  say  that  there  will  be  more  immigrants  coming  from 
Europe  this  year  than  ever  before.  How  can  all  these  boys 
and  girls  and  little  tots  go  to  school?  Already  there  afe  in 
many  of  the  schools  morning,  afternoon  and  night  sessions. 


Vacation  Kindergarten 

thus  making  one  building  answer  for  three  sets  of  j^upils. 
There  have  also  been  added  airy  and  sunshiny  school-rooms. 
Where?    On  the  roofs  of  the  buildings! 

What  more  can  they  do  to  make  Americans  of  the  for- 
eigners ?  For  the  public  school  is  the  real  maker  of  Americans. 

They  are  doing  more,  though ;  for  in  New  York  and  in  other 
cities  school  "keeps"  all  "vacation,"  and  if  you  have  thought 
much  about  these  boys  and  girls  in  New  York  and  Boston, 


46 


Chicago,  Philadelphia,  and  other  large  cities,  you  will  be  glad 
to  know  of  these  vacation  schools,  for  think  how  dreadful  the 
summer  days  and  evenings,  too,  would  be  in  these  crowded 
places  were  it  not  for  parks  and  playgrounds ;  the  recreation 
piers,  fresh-air  excursions,  and  the  vacation  schools,  which 
are  often  roof -schools  as  well.  If  you  know  anything  about 
it  you  will  know  that  the  roof  of  a  "skyscraper,"  shaded  with 
awnings,  under  which  the  fresh  and  sunsfuny  breezes  blow 
over  sweet-smelling 
roof  gardens  is  not  at 
all  bad  for  a  school- 
room. And  one  can 
"look  off,"  ah,  how 
far!  over  green  is- 
lands and  sparkling 
blue  water,  rippling 
up  into  whitecaps ; 
or  down  through  the 
Narrows,  far,  far 
away,  where,  against 
the  horizon,  are  glis-  Vacation  Carjx  n  d  ri  n  g 

tening  in  the  sun, 

white  and  gray  —  big  birds,   are  they?  or  sailing  ships? 

They  do  not  teach  from  books  in  these  summer  schools! 
Perhaps  one  reason  is  the  discovery  that  many  a  girl,  though 
"not  long  in  the  country"  can  tell  "considerable"  about  the 
Andes,  or  the  Amazon,  but  has  not  the  least  idea  where  knives 
and  forks  should  be  placed  on  the  table!  So  in  the  vacation 
schools  they  teach  the  things  which  will  prepare  these  new- 
comers for  real  American  living.  Housekeeping,  cooking, 
physical  culture,  carpentering,  basket-weaving,  gardening, 
nature  work,  dressmaking,  millinery — ^but  the  hooks  wait 
until  September. 

Perhaps  of  all  the  schools  for  foreigners  the  most  inter- 
esting are  the  evening  classes.  Those  who  attend  them  have 
usually  been  working  hard  all  day,  but  this  you  would  hardly 
think,  so  eager  are  they  in  making  use  of  these  classes  in  art 
or  design  or  music.  We  notice  the  number  of  Russian  Jews 
and  of  Italians,  and  wonder  whether  there  may  not  be  some 
day  famous  painters  and  sculptors  and  musicians,  who  drew 
their  first  inspiration  from  these  night  schools. 

There  are  evening  playgrounds,  too.  Blessings  on  the 
man — or  more  Ukely  the  woman — ^who  first  had  the  happy 


47 


thought  of  roofing  over  the  long  piers,  and  making  gardens 
of  house-tops!  These  house-tops  are  not  too  easily  reached — 
six  flights  of  stairs  to  climb  sometimes — yet  you  should 
see  the  tiny  tots  and  the  babies  who  must  have  been  car- 
ried up.  These  roof  gardens  are  open  until  ten  o'clock. 
There  is  singing  just  before  closing  time,  in  which  often 
two  thousand  voices  join;  but — after  that,  two  thousand 
people  must  leave  the  pleasant  sights  and  sounds  and  the 
fresh  breezes,  for  the  stifling,  unspeakable  tenements. 

And  there  are  still  thousands  and  thousands  down  in 
the  streets.  Think,  for  instance,  of  the  newsboys  and  the 
bootblacks!  They  have  a  hard  fight  to  become  anything! 
The  Boys  Clubs  help  most  to  make  Americans  of 
them.  There  are  many  of  them,  with  the  membership 
mounting  up  into  the  thousands,  and  they  are  the  saving 
and  the  making  of  many  a  boy.    Mr.  Jacob  Riis  says  one 

Boys'  Club  is  worth 
a  thousand  police- 
men's clubs,  and, 
for  the  street  boy,  it 
must  be  one  or  the 
other. 

But  there  are  the 
country  kindergar- 
tens and  the  coun- 
try schools — where 
Americans  may  not 
be  made  quite  so 
rapidly  —  perhaps 
not  until  the  day 
after  to-morrow! 
but  they  may  pos- 
it is  good  for  the 
it  is  good  for 


Vacation  Kindergarten 


sibly  make  a  better  kind  of  citizen 
young  lungs  to  expand  in  the  bracing  air 
young  eyes  to  roam  over  wide-reaching  field  and  forest, 
and  you  may  here  see  fewer  spectacles  than  in  the  city ;  it 
is  good,  above  all,  for  the  young  legs  to  run  as  they  will; 
so  the  small  foreigners  grow  up  in  these  country  settlements 
— a  free  sky  above  them ;  homes — not  tenements — to  live  in ; 
the  duties  of  citizenship  made  clear  to  them  day  by  day, 
their  love  of  country  growing  as  they  grow.  Surely  they 
will  make  Americans,  and  Americans  worth  while! 


48 


CHAPTER  VII 


Russian 


"CHILDREN  OF  TO-DAY,  THE  NATION  OF 
TO-MORROW" 

OU  remember  the  .finding  of  an  old 
Book  by  a  certain  student  of  Ger- 
many, once  upon  a  time  ?  That 
"Student's  Movement"  surely 
amounted  to  something!  Well, 
upon  that  Book  the  foundations 
of  our  Republic  were  laid,  and 
upon  it  they  stand,  and  so  it 
comes  about  that  on  tliis  Sunday 
morning,  if  people  are  obeying 
the  law  of  the  land  and  of  the 
Book,  we  shall  find  thousands  and 
thousands  of  these  foreign-born 
boys  and  girls,  not  at  work  nor  at  school,  but  absolutely 
free  to  learn  on  this  day  how  to  become  the  very  best 
kind  of  Americans. 

Just  think  over  the  best  Americans  you  know,  or 
know  about.  You  are  studying  "United  States  History," 
of  course.  Now — think!  You  want  great  Americans,  you 
know.  Begin  with  Washington,  and  think  down — or 
up! — to  tliis  very  Sunday.  You  may  have  five  minutes. 
So  write  down  the  list.  Ready?  Now,  check  off  those 
who  believed  the  Bible  and  tried  to  live  up  to  its  teach- 
ings. Great  Americans,  I  said;  that  means  men,  and 
it  means  women,  too.  Everyone  is  checked.  I  thought 
so!  and  on  this  Sunday  and  all  Sundays,  and  through 
the  week  beside,  it  is  this  kind  of  American  that  we  want 
to  make  of  all  the  cliildren  whom  we  saw  coming  in  at 
Ellis  Island,  and  of  all  who  have  come  since;  for — think 
a  moment — every  day  since  we  were  there,  the  children 
have  been  streaming  in — under  the  Flag.  They  will  all 
be  twenty-one  years  old  some  day!    And  so  will  you. 

Foreign -born,  and  native-born,  you  will  all  be  citizens, 
and  will  all  vote  together — certainly  all  you  boys  will, 
and  perhaps — things  do  change,  sometimes,  in  a  dozen 
3^ears  or  so — so  perhaps  the  girls — well,  at  least,  it  may 
be  well  to  be  ready!  If  all  the — thousands?  No;  it 
will  be  millions  and  millions — if  all  of  vou  have  found  that 


49 


it  is  righteousness  that  exalts  a  nation,  and  that  sin  is  a 
shame  to  any  people,  and  if  you  say  so  by  your  vote  and 
.influence,  then  the  Stars  and  Stripes  will  wave  over  a 
glorious  and  happy  America! 

So  on  Sundays  and  on  other  days,  Christian  people 
are  trying  to  help  the  foreign  boys  and  girls  to  become 
that  kind  of  Americans.  They  do  this  by  church  services 
and  Sunday  schools,  in  kindergartens  and  day  schools, 
by  music  classes  and  reading  roomxS ;  by  colporteurs  to  give 
the  Book,  which  may  be  as  new  to  them  as  it  was  to  Martin 
Luther;  by  kindness  at  all  times;  by  nursing  the  sick;  in 
showing  them  how  to  make  comfortable  and  happy  homes ; 
by  evening  classes  for  those  who  work  through  the  day; 
by  play-grounds  and  the  gymnasium;  by  bright  lectures, 
and  nature  study  and  work,  in  showing,  by  example, 
the  working  of  the  Golden  Rule;  in  all  these  and  in  many 
other  ways  they  are  making  of  our  foreigners  strong, 
healthy,  happy  Christian  citizens  for  America. 

Don't  you  want  to  help?  Not  so  hard  a  thing  to  do 
as  perhaps  you  think,  and  it  would  be  if  you  had  to  do  it 
alone;  but,  you  see,  there  are  "lots"  of  big,  strong  people 
ready  to  help  you.  Did  you  ever  hear  of  a  Home  Mission 
Board?  Why,  what  a  question!  Of  course  you  have  heard 
of  Home  Mission  Boards  and  of  course  you  are  not  a 
bit  like  that  boy 
who  thought  Mis- 
sion Boards  were 
simply  the  planks 
that  "  Mission  "  fur- 
niture is  made  of  ! 

So  far  from  that, 
I  am  sure  you  have 
often  sent  money  to 
help  carry  on  the 
work  of  your  special 
Board  of  Home  Mis- 
sions; but  perhaps 
you    have  never  cooUng  school 

happened  to  think 

what  a  great  work  it  is  doing  for  our  country  and  for  the 
foreigners,  in  helping  them  to  build  churches,  in  training 
ministers  to  carry  them  the  Gospel,  and  in  forming  and 
supporting  Sunday  schools.    One  Home  Mission  Board — 


50 


perhaps  it  is  yours — has  churches  for  almost  every  sort  of 
immigrant  we  saw  at  ElHs  Island,  with  preaching  in  twenty- 
two  different  languages,  and  if  you  really  want  to  share 
with  the  little  foreigners  the  best  thing  you  have,  and  to 
help  them  to  climb  up  the  path  to  citizenship,  I  can  show 
you  one  way  to  do  it.  Ask  someone  to  tell  you,  or  better, 
find  out  for  yourself  all  about  the  work  the  Home  Mission 
Boards  are  doing  for  these  little  people — the  work  they  are 
doing  now,  I  mean,  i 

Yes,  but  besides  all  this  work  to  be  kept  up,  there  will 
be,  this  year,  well — perhaps  one  hundred  thousand  more 


Open  Air  Service 


boys  and  girls  to  be  placed  in  Sunday  schools!  Think  a 
little  about  this,  and  you  will  very  soon  find  something 
you  can  do.  Surely  the  Boards  will  need  your  help  and 
you  will  need  theirs  to  get  all  these  children  in,  and  just  as 
surely,  you  will  find  "being  partners  in  the  concern" 
a  very  happy  thing. 

For  the  sake  of  the  little  strangers,  and  for  the  sake 
of  Him  who  was  once  a  stranger — just  try  it  and  see! 

But  let  us  spend  a  week  now  with  our  little  Hungarian 
friends!  For  we  find  them  at  last,  happy  in  their  "five- 
roomed   house."    Not   happy   though  on   the  dreadful 


51 


day  of  the  accident  in  the  mine,  where  their  father  worked. 
After  long  hours  he  was  rescued,  but  the  fathers  of  other 
httle  boys  and  girls  were  killed.  Such  days  come  often  in 
the  mining  regions. 

Let  us  watch  Angelica  in  the  kindergarten — "No  more 
a  stranger  or  a  guest,  but  like  a  child  at  home. "  When 


These  cliildren  will  certainly  make  notable  housekeepers 
some  day!  And  Tuesday  they  iron;  Wednesday  they  cook; 
Thursday,  ah,  Thursdays  they  "garden ; "  Friday  they  sweep, 
and  Saturday  is  baking-day. 

Sunday?  On  Sunday,  we  must  say  good-bye  to  little 
Angelica;  but  first  she  will  say,  for  us,  in  her  sweet,  blithe 
voice,  and  with  a  soft  blurring  of  the  hard  English  letters, 
her  "golden  text."    This  is  it: 

"Suffer  the  little  children  to  "come  unto  Me,  and  forbid 
them  not,  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  Heaven.  " 

And  thus  far,  to  little  Angelica,  America  is  a  rosy- 
golden  country. 

They  are  coming  still,  these  little  children,  and  like 
Angelica,  happy,  gleeful,  triumphantly  glad  to  reach 
"America."  Don't  let  them  be  disappointed.  The  Flag 
promises  a  happy  home,  happy  childhood,  happy  schools, 
happy  work,  after  a  while.    Then — citizensloip! 

There  are  many  who  are  trying  to  prevent  the  Flag 
from  keeping  its  promises;  but  you  boys  and  girls — 
Americans  horn,  stand  by  the  Flag,  and  help  the  little 
foreigners  to  love  it  for  what  it  does  for  them,  and  to 
stand  by  it,  as  you  do,  for  so  will  our  foreigners  to-day 
be  Americans  to-morrow! 


Kindergarten  on  Recreation  Pier 


she  came  she  did 
not  understand  one 
word  of  English, 
but  in  six  weeks 
she  could  speak  it. 
Fancy  her  delight 
in  the  singing,  the 
marching ,  the  games 
and  the  "work." 
This  is  Monday  in 
the  kindergarten — 
not  a  "blue"  Mon- 
day either,  though 
it  is  "  wash  day.  " 


52 


Suggested  Program.    Chapter  I. 

PRAISE   IX    MANY  TONGUES. 

Singing;    The  Italian  Hymn — "Come,  Thou  Almighty  King." 
Bible  Reading:    The  Law  of  Freedom.     (Foundation  text:  If 

the  Truth  shall  make  you  free,  you  shall  be  free  indeed.) 
Singing:    The  Portuguese  Hymn — "How  Firm  a  Foundation." 
Singing:    The  Spanish  Hymn — "Blessed  are  the  Sons  of  God." 

SOME  BOYS  WE  KNOW: 

1.  The  Carol-Singer  of  Eisenach.*     (A  miner's  son.)  Three- 
minute  paper,  followed  by 
Singing:    Luther's  Hymn — "A  Mighty  Fortress  is  our  God." 

2.  The  Little  Musician 
of  Saltzburg.  -  * 
Three -minute  il- 
lustrated talk,  fol- 
lowed by : 

Singing:  Mozart  — 
"  Christ  the  Lord 
is  Risen  To-day.  " 

3.  A  Boy  Who  Could 
Sing.  2  *  Three- 
minute  story,  fol- 
lowed by : 

Singing:  The  Austrian 
Hymn  — '  'Hark  ! 
What  Mean  those 
Holy  Voices. " 

First  Presbyterian  Church,  Philadelphia  4.  A  Farewell  to  Sicily, 

followed  by  : 

Singing:    The  Sicilian  Vesper  Hymn — "Guide  Me,  O  Thou  Great 

Jehovah!"    Offering  and  Prayer. 
Singing:    The  Russian  Hymn — "O  God  All  Terrible.  Thou  Who 

Ordainest." 


Questions.    Chapter  L 

1.  Why  do  the  people  of  Russia  come  to  America? 

2.  Why  do  Italians  and  Germans  come? 

3.  What  reasons  are  there  for  the  differences  between  South- 

eastern and   Northwestern  Europe? 

4.  How  has  knowledge  of  the  United  States  spread  through  Europe? 

5.  Name  six  ports  from  which  emigrants  may  embark  for  America. 

6.  How  do  emigrants  usually  get  their  passage  money? 

1  See  "Schonberg-Cotta  Family,"  Part  I,  Else's  Story. 

2  See  The  Tone  Masters.    By  Chas.  Ballard. 

3  See  "Imported  Americans."  By  B.  Brandenburg. 
'*  See  Perry  Pictures  "Distinguished  People"  Series. 


53 


Suggested  Program,    Chapter  II. 


Singing:    "Hail,  Stars  and  Stripes."^ 

Bible   Study:    The   Law  of  the   Stranger.    Based  upon  Deut. 

10:17-19;  24:14-22. 
Prayer. 

Singing:    "O  Blessed  Saviour,  Lord  of  Love."  ^  (Babcock.) 
Subject:  Christmas  Day.     1.  How  it  is  kept. 

a.  In  Denmark.    Two-minute  paper. 

b.  In  Germany.    Three-minute  talk.    (Illust  ated.) 
Singing:    (A  German  Christmas  Carol.) 

c.  In  Russia.    Three-minute  illustrated  description. 

d.  In  Italy  and  France.    Three -minute  paper. 
Singing:    "Holy  Night." 

2.  Christmas  for  the  Strangers. 

3.  Practical  Plans  for  Next  Christmas. 
Singing:    (Some  favorite  Christmas  Carol.) 


In  the  Mini/I  ff  Regions 


Questions.    Chapter  II. 

1.  Why  do  the  doctors  at  Ellis  Island  mark  people  T  or  F  or 

some  other  letter  ? 

2.  What  does  T  stand  for? 

3.  What  does  S.  I.  mean? 

4.  What  kind  of  immigrants  are  "deported?" 

5.  How  many  missionaries  arc  there  at  Ellis  Island  ? 

6.  In  how  many  languages  is  the  Bible  printed  for  giving  out  at 

EUis  Island? 

1  From  Hymns  for  Home  Mission  Meetings.  The  American  Baptist  Home 
Missionary  Society. 

2  From  the  School  Hymnal.    Westminster  Press,  Philadelphia. 


54 


Suggested  Program. 


Chapter  III. 


Singing:    "Lord,  While  for  All  Mankind  We  Pray." 

Bible  Reading:    The  Law  of  the  Sabbath.     (Foundation  texts: 

Ex.  20:10;   Lev.  18:26;    Isa.  58:13,  14.) 
Prayer. 

Singing:    "America  for  Christ."^ 

Subject:    Dangers  from  Immigration. 

1.  The  Loss  of  the  Sabbath;  What  it  would  mean  for  America. 

(Presented  by  five  members,  in  one -minute  papers.) 

2.  Disregard  for  the  Bible.    Is  the  Bible  taught  in  Public 

Schools?    (Answers  from  all  members.) 

3.  How  may  Boys  and  Girls  help  to  save  the  country  from 

these  dangers?  (Discussion.) 
Prayer  and  Offering. 
Singing:  "America." 


In  Six  Weeks  They  Can  Speak  English 


Questions.    Chapter  III. 

1.  How  many  "Gates"  to  America? 

2.  About  how  many  immigrants  come  through  Ellis  Island  Gate 

in  a  year  ? 

3.  Name  nine  steps  that  led  to  the  coming  of  immigrants  to  America. 

4.  Why  have  gates  been  placed  on  the  Canadian  and  Mexican 

borders  ? 

5.  What  kind  of  people  are  not  allowed  to  come  into  America? 

6.  How  do  the  immigrant  officers  prevent  their  landing  ? 

^  From  "Hymns  for  Home  Mission  Meetings."' 


55 


Suggested  Program.    Chapter  IV. 

vSinging:  "We  Bring  no  Glistening  Treasures."  German  melody. 
Bible  Reading:    The  Law  of  the  Children.      (Foundation  text: 

Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto  Me.) 
Prayer. 

Singing:    "I  Think  When  I  Read  that  Sweet  Story  of  Old." 


The  Shoemaker  Song 


Subject:    Christ  Blessing  Little  Children. 

1.  New  Testament  Children,   as  illustrated  by  Plockhorst.* 

2.  More  of  Our  Debt  to  Germany.    Hoffman's  pictures.^ 

3.  Christmas  Day.^    Illustrated  by  German  artists. 
Singing:    "The  Little  Lord  Jesus." 


Questions.    Chapter  IV. 

L  How  many  immigrants  enter  New  York  every  winter? 

2.  After  landing,  to  what  parts  of  the  city  do  the  various  nation 

alities  go? 

3.  Why  do  so  many  stay  in  New  York?    And  in  other  large 

cities  ? 

4.  What  is  one  of  the  worst  things  about  the  Jewish  Ghetto? 

5.  What  is  one  of  the  best  things? 

6.  How  many  "quarters"  can  you  count  in  New  York? 
^  The  Perry  Pictures — Section:    "German  Art." 


56 


Suggested  Program. 


Chapter  V 


Singing:    (Select,  if  possible,   Italian  composers.) 

Bible  Reading:    The  Law  of  Life.    Psalm  15;  Romans  12:1-21 

Prayer. 

Singing:  The  Italian  Hymn. 
OUR  DEBT  TO  ITALY;  through: 

1.  Fra  Angelico.    Three-minute  talk,  with  illustrations.' 

2.  Michael    Angelo    Buonarotti.    Three-minute    paper,  il- 

lustrated.' 

3.  Raphael  Santi.    Rapid  sketch,  illustrated  very  fully.' 
Singing:    Select  hymn  suggested  by  some  picture  shown.  As 

Italians  have  been,  so  they  may  be. 


Thursday  They  Garden 


Questions.    Chapter  V. 

1.  Who  fill  the  factories  and  mills  in  New  England? 

2.  Where  in  New  England  do  we  find  Italians  and  Jews? 

3.  Mention  a  fine  Itahan  Colony  in  New  York  State. 

4.  What  immigrants  helped  to  open  up  our  Northwest  country  ? 

5.  How  many  Italians  are  there  in  California  ? 

6.  What  great  thing  has  been  largely  brought  about  by  those 

immigrants  labeled  R.  R.  ? 

1  Procure  "Perry"  or  other  pictures,  under  Section  Italian  Art.  For  soke 
of  a  clear  impression,  only  three  artists  are  named.  An  enthusiastic  leader  will, 
however,  have  enthusiastic  followers,  and  it  will  not  be  difficult  to  make  a  full 
collection  of  those  pictures  by  Italian  artists  which  have  most  influenced  religious 
thought. 


57 


Suggested  Program     Chapter  VI. 
Singing:    "America  for  Christ."^ 

Bible  Reading:    The  Law  of  a  Just  Balance     (Foundation  text, 
Prov.  II  :i.) 

Prayer. 

Singing:    "Our  Native  Land." 

Subject:    One  Foreign-Born  American. 

1.  Sketch  of  Jacob  A.  Riis,  with  portrait. 

2.  Life  in  the  Tenements.    Story  selected  from  "The  Battle 

with  the  Slums. "  (Illustrations  may  be  found  in 
magazines.) 

3.  Some  Achievements. 

a.  The  Flower  Mission.    Illustrated  story. 

b.  Parks  and  Playgrounds.  Paper. 

c.  The  Jacob  A.  Riis  House.  Description. 

Singing:    O  Blessed  Saviour,  Lord  of  Love. 


Evening  Art  Class 


Questions.    Chapter  Vt. 

1.  Why  is  the  kindergarten  the  first  step  toward  citizenship? 

2.  Where  is  New  York  most  crowded? 

3.  How  many  ' '  Makers  of  Americans  "  are  named  in  this  chapter  ? 

4.  Name  six  helps  to  good  citizenship  mentioned. 

5.  In  what  ways  are  these  foreign-born  children  better  ofT  in 

the  country  than  in  the  city? 

6.  In  what  ways  can  you  help  these  citizens-to-be  ? 

^  See  "Hymns  for  Home  Missions  Meetings." 


58 


Suggested  Program.    Chapter  VII 


Singing:    "America  for  Christ." 

Bible  Study:    The  Law  of  the  Patriot.   (Foundation  Texts.  Deut. 
4:5-9;  Lev.  24:22.) 

Prayer. 

Singing:  "O,  the  Blessed  Word  of  God 
Subject:    Helps  to  Good  Citizenship. 

1.  Boys'  Clubs. 

a.  St.  Mark's  Club.    Story.    CNote  present  membership.) 

b.  Group  Clubs.    Description  of  organization. 

2.  Boys'  Department,  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

a.  Does  it  help  foreign-born  boys? 

b.  Does  it  help  street 

boys? 

3.  Neighborhood  Settle- 

ments. 
Description  of  classes 
and  work. 

4.  Bible  Classes  for  Boys 

and  Girls. 

a.  In  Summer  Camps. 

b.  In  Cities. 

5.  The  Sunday  School  for 

Italians. 

a.  New  York. 

b.  Philadelphia. 

Singing:     "America."  Little  Ilcmsikeepers 


Questions.    Chapter  VII. 

1.  What  has  been  one  great  difference  between  this  country  and 

the  countries  of  Europe  ? 

2.  What  has  helped  to  make  our  truly  "great"  Americans? 

3.  In  a  few  years  you  boys  and  girls — native-born  and  foreign- 

born — will  be  making  America — what  kind  of  nation 
do  you  mean  to  make  it  ? 

4.  How  are  Christian  citizens  for  America  being  made  ? 

5.  In  what  ways  can  you  show  your  love  of  country  ? 

6.  What  is  the  best  rule  for  making  citizens? 


1  From  "Tried  and  True."    U.  B.  Publishing  Co.,  Dayton,  Ohio. 

59 


HELPS  FOR  LEADERS 


BOOKS  FOR  GENERAL  STUDY 

Aliens  or  Americans  ?    Howard   B.  Grose.     The  text-book  for 

Home  Mission  Study.  1906-07. 
Immigration.    Prescott  F.  Hall. 
Imported  Americans.    B.  Brandenburg. 

On  the  Trail  of  the  Immigrant.     Edward  A.  Steiner  (Revell). 
The  Making  of  an  American.    Jacob  A.  Riis. 
The  Italian  in  America.    Pub.,  Benj.  F.  Buck,  New  York. 
The  Russian  Jew  in  the  United  States.    Pub.,  Benj.  F  Buck, 
New  York. 

Undistinguished  y^mericans.     Hamilton  Holt. 


Sewi/ig  School 


TOPICS  FOR  FURTHER  STUDY 

1.  "Where  Our  Immigrants  Settle."    See  "Aliens  or  Americans.'' 

also  "Our  People  of  Foreign  Speech,"  page  105,  and  following 
charts. 

2.  Scandinavians — What  Our  Country  Owes  to  Them. 

3.  Germans — Their  Share  in  Developing  America. 

4.  The  Old  Testament  Festivals — As  Seen  in  the  Jewish  Ghettos. 

5.  Debate — Resolved,  That  Immigration  Should  be  Restricted. 

6.  Italians  as  Artists  and  Professional  Men. 

7.  Who  are  the  Slavs?    Subject  entrusted  to  five  members. 

8.  Immigration — Studied  from  the  Daily  Papers — Items  for  One 

Month  Reviewed  and  Illustrated. 


60 


PUBLICATIONS   OF   THE   CONGREGATIONAL  HOME 
MISSIONARY  SOCIETY, 
87  Fourth  Avenue,  New  York 

Ellis  Island  Views.     The  Home  Missionary.    Dec,  1905. 

Why  Despise  the  Immigrant?    The  Home  Missionary.    Dec,  1905. 

The  Tragedy  of  the  Excluded.     The  Home  Missionary.   April,  1905. 

The  Child  Immigrant.    The  Home  Missionary.    March,  1906. 

Italian  Connecticut;  Heroines  of  Slavic  Work;  Christianize  Amer- 
ica! W^e  Can.  We  Should;  The  Debt  Young  People  Owe 
Their  Country;  each  3c.;  Far-Reaching  Effects,  2c.;  Our 
Duty  to  the  Stranger;  Jesus'  Work  for  His  Own  Country; 
Foreign  Missions  at  Home  (Programs),  15c  per  doz. 

PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE  BAPTIST  HOME  MISSION 
SOCIETY, 
312  Fourth  Avenue,  New  York  City 

The  Slav  Invasion.    Rev.  H.  B.  Grose.  5c. 

Our  Italian  Field.    E.  E.  Chivers,  D.D.  5c. 

The  Italians  in  America.    Rev.  H.  B.  Grose.  5c. 

America's  Newcomers.    Rev.  H.  B.  Grose.  5c. 

The  Foreigner  in  America.    Samuel  McBride,  D.D.  2c 

The  Chinese  in  America.    Rev.  H.  B.  Grose.  5c. 

The  French  Canadians.    H.  L.  Morehouse,  D.D.  3c 

The  Great  Migration.    H.  L.  Morehouse,  D.D.  2c. 

Two  Instances  of  Heroic  Giving.     E.  P.  Farnham,  D.D.  2c 

An  Italian's  Confession  of  Faith.    H.  M.  King,  D.D.  2c. 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE  PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF 
HOME  MISSIONS, 
156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City 

Our  People  of  Foreign  Speech.     Paper,   20c.  per  copy.  Cloth. 

50c  per  copy. 
Souvenir  Post  Cards.     15c.  per  set  of  8. 

PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE   HOME   MISSIONARY  SOCIETY 
OF  THE  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH, 
150  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City 

The  New  W^orld's  Welcome.     Price,  loc. 

61 


ACKNOWLEDGMENT 


The  writer  has  pleasure  in  acknowledging  the  kind 
courtesy  and  interest  of  officers  of  the  Bureau  of  Im- 
migration; of  the  New  York  Board  of  Education;  of  the 
Boards  of  Home  Missions;  and  the  kindness  of  friends,  in 
placing  at  her  disposal  photographs  for  the  illustration 
of  this  story  of  immigration.  Acknowledgment  is  also 
made  to  the  Home  Missionary  for  photographs  from  which 
have  been  made  the  series  of  chapter  initials,  and  for 
other  illustrations.  Photographs  for  the  cover-picture  and 
for  illustrations  on  pages  13,  14,  16,  17.  20,  were  taken 
at  Ellis  Island,  by  permission,  expressly  for  this  book. 

East  Orange,  N.  J.,  May  ist,  1906. 


62 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    The  Beginning  of  It   3 

I'.    Uncle  Sam  Takes  Hold   11 

III.  Gates  or  No  Gates   23 

IV.  New  York  Arithmetic   31 

V.  "R.  R.'s"   41 

VI.    Makers  of  Americans   45 

VII.  "Children  of  To-day,  the   Nation  of  To- 
morrow  49 

Suggested  Programs.    Questions  on  the  Text..  53-59 

Helps  for  Leaders...  60-61 


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